Raphael's Wish
by Mikell
Summary: When the guys find an old bottle and a wounded boy in the sewers, they unwittingly fall into a trap set by a vengeful criminal. Will Saishi betray his new friends?COMPLETE
1. Chapter 1 Captured

Author's Note:

This isn't my first walk 'round the park writing, but this is my very first fan-fiction.

Sorry to anyone who likes a lot of action, this is more of a… well, hangin' with the guys kind of story, with some action and suspense thrown in to keep it interesting. Saishi's known nothing but abuse his whole life. can the guys teach him the meaning of friendship, trust, and honor?

Please do read and review. Feedback is good. Thanks. 

Oh yeah, Disclaimer- I don't own TMNT. This is strictly fan-created fiction for the fun of writing and sharing. No profit has been made in this writing. (And I pray to God none of the editors I actually write for ever see this! LOL)

Thanks to Mirage et al for the TMNT characters, they're a great bunch who've brought joy to my (ongoing) childhood.

Chapter 1 -Captured-

I felt them approaching long before any sound penetrated the darkness. I huddled closer to the wall, shivering in the damp cold that seeped through the concrete, making a joke of my thin silk clothes and sapping my strength. My ribs were cracked from my Master's beating, which made breathing silently difficult. I clamped my arm across my chest, as if I could hold myself together, keep the fire in my chest from bursting out. My head swam. I tried to force myself to focus, but the dark pressed in on me. Every drip, every splash, seemed magnified, echoing in the tunnels.

"What's this?" The voice was nearly a whisper. If I hadn't been listening so hard, the sound might have passed for wind whistling over the sewer grate above.

"Looks like an old bottle."

I shuddered. These four, the turtle warriors who haunted the streets at night, were the terror of street gangs, and the enemies of my Master. I wouldn't have entered their territory willingly, but my Master had a plan, and I had to obey. My broken ribs were the result of punishment when I protested, fearing the warriors would kill me on sight.

_You will do as you're told, Saishi! _He'd snapped, shoving me back against the tunnel wall.

_Master, please, don't do this! They will kill me. You know I will give you anything you wish for, Master. There must be another way…_

I heard the warriors moving in the tunnel. Their footsteps were nearly silent, but I heard rough footpads brushing against the rough floor. I held my breath. _Leave it,_ I thought desperately. _Leave the old bottle, it's just junk. Leave it, and leave me to die in peace…_

"You think Master Splinter would like this?" I shivered, cringing as I heard the distinctive _clink_ of glass against concrete.

"Aww, I was gonna put flowers in it for April," whined another voice.

"Too bad, Mikey," retorted the first turtle. "You snooze, you lose."

"Knock it off, you two," scolded the third.

I closed my eyes. His scolding tone reminded me of Hakari. _Master… goodbye. I am sorry, but I fear I will fail you again. _

I could hear his voice in my memory: _Find the turtles, Saishi. It shouldn't be hard, wandering around these tunnels. Convince them to take you to their hide-out under the city. I'll use the amulet to track the bottle. I'll steal it back, and sell the location of their den to the ninja gang. I'll get you back and have my revenge!_

_Master, there must be another way! Please… _

He struck me then, knocking me down. _Quiet, you! You will do as I say. I want those turtles, Saishi, want them on _my_ terms. I don't need your little magic tricks to get my revenge. You think I need you, don't you? You think I need your magic to help me. Well, I don't. I was a master thief for years before I was Master of a pathetic creature like you. You just get them to take you back to their home, and keep your mouth shut. _

_But Master, what if they ask what I'm doing in their territory? They'll kill me…_

_Tell them you ran away, you little fool! I'll come for you in two weeks. That should give you plenty of time to find them and convince them to take you in. You make sure they take the bottle, too. Don't screw this up, Saishi, or I'll make you sorry you were born!_

Hearing the warriors approach, I curled into a tighter ball. Pain shot through my side with the movement. A whimper escaped me, a tiny sound, but it was enough. The voices went silent. I couldn't hear them moving, either, though I strained to listen. I was listening so hard; I was completely unprepared for the hand that grasped my shoulder. I ducked instinctively, flattening myself against the cold floor.

"Leo, are you nuts?" The voice of the red-masked warrior echoed in the tunnel. He sounded angry. "Way to blow our cover, ninja-master!"

"Hey, are you ok? Don't be scared. We're going to help you." The one touching my shoulder spoke softly, almost kindly. I cringed under his hand, terrified. I knew how strong the warriors were, how brutal. I had no chance.

"Please, don't hurt me!" I squeaked. My cheeks burned with fear and shame. I am a coward. I hate pain, and will do almost anything to avoid it.

"It's ok, Kid. We're the good guys." His tone was friendly, but I was not reassured. I'd heard stories from Hakari about the trail of broken bodies these warriors left behind whenever the local gangs crossed their paths. I had no illusions of their tender kindness or mercy. I turned my head far enough to risk a peek at my muscular captor, and caught a glimpse of his brothers beyond him, standing back in the shadows. I saw the glint of my bottle tucked in the belt of a warrior wearing a red mask.

Worse, I saw a pair of sais resting casually in his hands. I shivered. Their weapons looked sharp and deadly-accurate. With any luck they'd kill me quickly for trespassing in their underground home. It would all be over. No more pain, no more fear, no more serving terrible Masters… Hands grasped my shoulders, lifting me up.

_This is it! He's going to run me through with one of those fancy swords… Oh, Allah, don't let it hurt too much…_ Sweat chilled my forehead and dripped, stinging my eyes. He lifted me so I was sitting with my back to the wall. Why didn't he make me stand? Though sitting eased the pain in my side, this seemed such an awkward angle for the killing strike. Maybe he could feel my weakness, the fear and cold draining my strength. I could not stand, and would have fallen if he set me on my feet.

He touched my face. His hand felt dry and cool and leathery against my skin. I flinched, turning away, but the fingers gripped my chin firmly, turning my head so I had to face him. I wanted to close my eyes, to hide, but there was something compelling in the strength of the hand cradling my chin. His gaze was intelligent, steady, not cold or flashing with anger as Master Hakari's expression so often was. This turtle would perhaps have made a kind Master. Except this one wasn't my new Master. The red-masked turtle, the angry one, was. Just my luck.

I swallowed hard. "Please…" I whispered, trembling.

"Leo, you know Splinter doesn't like us to talk to humans," said the one in the orange mask, sounding nervous. His weapons, two pairs of wooden rods attached by small chains, spun, whistling through the air.

The blue-masked turtle's eyes never left mine. "We can't just leave him here. He's hurt," he said softly.

"Great. So you're bringing home another pet human. Just great," snorted the red one, his deadly sais glinting in his fingers.

I closed my eyes. My new Master. The idea sent ice streaming through my veins. "I'm not human," I whispered.

"What?" The fingers tightened on my chin, making me gasp and open my eyes again.

"I… I'm… I'm not…" I stammered, but my words sounded muffled, far away, as if someone else were speaking. My vision began to blur, the floor seemed to shift under me. The turtle staring into my face faded, his outlines growing foggy.

"Hey. Hey, kid…" His voice was far away, too. The merciful darkness closed in and I let myself fall into it gratefully. With any luck, I'd never wake up.

***


	2. Chapter 2 Discoveries

Chapter 2 -Discoveries-

The first sensation to return was pain. At first it was all around me, closing me in, suffocating. Everything was awash in burning, scarlet throbbing, and I was tossed and floating in the sea of hurt.

Hakari's anger burned in my memory. _I'll teach you to obey!_ His boot had crashed into my side, once, twice. My ribs gave way under the assault, collapsing. _You won't run away _now_, will you? Even you can't mess this up. I'll teach those turtles to interfere with me. All you have to do is obey me and keep your mouth shut! _

_Master, please,_ I'd whispered. _Once they have the bottle, you will no longer be my Master. Don't do this… just make a wish. You know I can bring them to you. I'll give you whatever you want… please…_

_No! I'm doing this on my terms._ _You just do as you're told_.

Slowly, sensations beyond the pain reached my mind, and I focused on those to escape the memory. I was lying on something soft. I could feel fabric beneath my fingers, the coarse cloth of a couch, not the silk pillows or soft rug in my bottle. I became aware of sounds, voices speaking in low murmurs, not far away. There was an odd, musty odor. Something damp lay across my forehead.

I lay very still, taking pleasure in the coolness. My side hurt fiercely. My heart beat faster. _Where am I? Where is Hakari?_ The thoughts swirled like fog through my brain, making my head ache.

"When he wakes, give him this tea. It will help with the fever, and reduce the pain." A gruff, quiet voice. I liked the voice. It sounded old and wise and calm. It wasn't shouting… didn't sound like the kind of voice that ever shouted.

"Yes, Master Splinter." The blue-masked warrior's voice. Reality snapped me fully awake. _The turtles! _ The gasp I sucked in re-lit the fire in my ribs. I forced myself to stay very still and keep my eyes closed. Movement might attract their attention, and attention was the last thing I wanted. Where was I? What would they do to me?

_The red-masked one has the bottle_, the thought fizzed through my brain, sending thrills of panic through me. I could feel myself shaking and tried to stop. Master Hakari's plan had worked, only I hadn't found them. The turtles had found _me_, and now I was at their mercy. _At least I'm still alive_, I thought. _They haven't killed me… yet._

"Aww, Leo, why'd you put him on the couch? I'm missing the wrestling marathon," complained the orange-masked warrior.

"Sorry, Mikey," said the blue one.

_Leo,_ I thought. _His name is Leo. And the other is Michael. I wonder what my new Master's name is. I wonder if I'll live long enough to find out._

"I found the book you wanted, Master Splinter." A new voice, the fourth brother.

"Ah, thank you Donatello." The old voice again, nearer this time.

"Do you want me to read the passages to you, Sensei?"

"No, thank you, Donatello. Raphael and I will look at it together."

I forced myself to lie perfectly still, breathing as slowly as I could to avoid tensing up and twitching at every sound. It was an old trick. Hakari called it 'playing possum'.

"He said he's "not human", Leo?" The fourth brother's voice was closer, somewhere to my left. "Looks human to me. This is too weird."

"What does Master Splinter think, Don?" Leo's voice was soft. He didn't mean to be overheard.

"Well, he asked me for a book on ancient Persian mythology," replied Donatello, also quietly. "One of the books I got out of the dumpster behind the museum last year has a picture of the bottle Raphael found in it. Splinter seemed to think it's important."

I shivered then. I couldn't help it. The one they called Sensei suspected my nature. _What are they going to do when they find out what I am?_ I wondered.

"He's shaking again. Get a blanket, will you, Don?" Leo's voice was so close this time I did twitch. He hadn't even touched me yet, but I could almost feel his hands. I couldn't pretend to be unconscious any longer. Slowly, reluctantly, I opened my eyes. He was leaning over me. I gasped and shrank into the cushions.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to scare you." He leaned back a bit. I tried to control my ragged breathing.

"How are you feeling?" I stared at him, mute with terror. The handles of his katanas stuck out past the upper edges of his shell. I quivered. I could almost feel them slicing into me. "Hey, kid, it's ok, really. We're not monsters or aliens. We're not gonna hurt you."

"I don't know, Leo, I think Raph might be from outer space," said the orange-masked one with a giggle. Michael. I flicked a glance toward him. He was lounging on a chair near by. "Hey, the kid's awake now, so I can turn on wrestling, right?"

"Sure, Mikey, whatever you want," said Leo with a sigh.

I shifted. "Please, Sir," I said through dry lips. "I will get up so that Michael may watch his wrestling. I didn't mean to be in the way, Sir." I began to sit up. "Please…" I cried out with fear as Leo put his hand down on my shoulder, pinning me down.

"It's Michelangelo. And how did you know his name?" asked Leo sharply. I closed my eyes against his frown, trembling.

"I… I heard you talking, Sir. I'm sorry!" I whimpered.

"Take it easy, kid." I heard a movement behind me and turned my head to stare fearfully up at the purple-masked warrior who was leaning over the back of the couch. I swallowed hard, feeling surrounded, trapped. The warrior in blue spoke softly. "No one's going to hurt you. I'm Leonardo. This is my brother, Donatello, and the goof with the TV remote is Michelangelo. What's your name?"

"My… my name is Saishi, Sir," I said.

"What were you doing in the sewers, Saishi?" asked Donatello. I shivered, feeling the muscles in Leonardo's three-fingered hand clearly through the thin silk of my shirt and vest.

"My Master… my former Master, he left me." _Stupid, stupid, _I thought. _Master told me to say I'd run away… I can't do anything right!_

"Your former Master?" The one called Leonardo was frowning. His hand was firm and strong on my shoulder. I squirmed, but could not escape the steady pressure.

"Yes, Sir."

The orange-clad turtle, Michelangelo, laughed, making me jump. "Dude, his name's Leonardo, not 'Sir'," he said.

Leonardo ignored his brother. "Who is this Master?" he asked.

I shivered. "His name is Richard, Sir. Richard Hakari."

"Why did he leave you?"

"I… I failed to please him, Sir. He punished me by leaving me there. But I will try harder to please my new Master, Sir!"

"Don't call me 'Sir', Saishi. My name is Leonardo. Who is your new Master?" His eyes peered into mine. For a panicked moment I was afraid he could read my mind, could see what I was hiding. If he could, I would be dead.

"Your brother, Sir…" Something like anger flickered in his eyes, and I flinched. "I… I mean Leonardo! Please, I'm sorry…" I waited for him to slap me for my insolence, calling him 'Sir' when he'd said not to, but he didn't. Hakari would've hit me for disobeying. I would have to be more careful. A slap from one of these turtles would likely break my neck.

"Which brother?" asked Donatello.

I was shaking so hard now the pain in my ribs rolled over me in waves. "The… the warrior who… who picked up the bottle. He… he wears the red mask." I whispered, feeling dizzy and sick.

"Raphael?"

"I do not know my Master's name."

Leonardo regarded me for a long moment. I could not read his intentions in his eyes. He leaned back, finally taking his hand from my shoulder. I tried to take slow, shallow breaths, to ease the fierce pain in my ribs. I glanced over to where Donatello had been standing, but he'd moved away. I was startled at how quietly he'd left.

"You need to rest now, Saishi. Splinter has prepared you some special herbal tea. I'll bring it to you," said Leonardo.

I tried to sit up. "Please, Sir, you must not trouble yourself for my sake." His hand came down on my shoulder again, pinning me down, more firmly this time. I gasped, and a whimper escaped me.

"Saishi, you need to stay still," he said.

I cringed under his hand. "Y… y… yes, Sir," I stammered.

"Stop calling me 'Sir'," he said calmly.

I trembled. "Yes, Sir. I mean, no, Sir! I mean… Leonardo." Tears of fear and pain slid down my cheeks.

"Saishi, relax. You're safe here."

I didn't trust my voice to answer, so I nodded. Leonardo stood up, apparently satisfied I'd stay put, and strode off. I could feel the vibrations of his footsteps fizzing along the cracks in my ribs.


	3. Chapter 3 Tea and Questions

Chapter 3 -Tea and Questions-

Leonardo's return was so silent, I jumped when his hand touched my arm. "Here, drink this," he said. "I'll help you sit up." He slid his hand behind my back, and lifted. I shuddered, but he wasn't rough. He held a small cup to my lips. I took a sip.

"Oh, it's awful!" I spluttered.

Michelangelo snickered, and Leonardo glared at him. "Splinter's tea will help ease his pain," he said. "Please try to drink it." With him kneeling beside me, his muscular hand on my back, I wasn't about to refuse.

"Yes, Leonardo…" I gulped down a few swallows of the vile-tasting liquid, trying not to choke. Leonardo lowered me back to the cushions. The warm tea seemed to flow through my limbs. The pain did begin to cool a bit. I closed my eyes, and concentrated on controlling my breathing. I heard Leonardo set the cup down on the table.

"Mr. Leonardo?" I quavered. Michelangelo hooted with laughter. I cringed, meeting Leonardo's eyes. He was not smiling.

"Just Leonardo, Saishi. Or Leo. You can call me Leo, ok?"

"Y…y… yes… Leonardo," I stammered. "When may I meet my Master?"

I shifted, but didn't try to sit up again. I was terrified of the green warrior who regarded me with such calm, and yet his touch had been almost pleasant. I wondered what he'd do if I tried to sit up, and decided not to find out.

"Raphael's talking with Master Splinter right now," he told me. "I'm sure Splinter will be able to straighten this all out. Don't worry, Saishi. Do you have a family?"

The question caught me totally off-guard. "No."

"No one who might be looking for you?"

"No Leonardo. There is no one. I have… had… only my Master."

"Hmm. We'll see." said Leonardo. He turned and walked away. The room was quiet, except for the television.  
"Wooo! Yeah!" Michelangelo's shout made me jump, and the pain increased as though someone had held a brand to my ribs. I gasped for breath, clutching at my side.

"Oh! Sorry little dude," said Michelangelo. "Did I scare you?"

"Y… yes, Sir," I whispered, trying to slow my breathing. There was nothing I could do about the way my heart seemed to be trying to beat its way out of my chest.

"Did you see that move? It was too cool. Hey, Saishi, isn't that your name? Relax little dude. Aww, you're shaking! Really, I didn't mean to scare you."

"It's… it's all right, Sir," I whispered. Cold sweat trickled down my neck.

"Whoa, Dude, seriously. The name's Michelangelo. You can call me Mikey, ok? You don't have to call us "Sir"."

"I'm sorry."

"You don't have to say you're sorry all the time either. It's ok, ok?"

I nodded. I didn't have a clue what he meant, but I wasn't about to argue.

"Are you ok? You want me to get Leo? Maybe Master Splinter can make you some more tea."

I shook my head as vigorously as I dared. "No, thank you… Michelangelo." He laughed again, and I almost smiled. He had a strange accent, and a most infectious laugh.

"I know that tea tastes awful," he said. "But it does help you feel better. How'd you bust up your ribs, anyhow? Did you fall climbing down into the tunnels?"

"My Master… struck me. When I fell down, he kicked me. He was very angry with me. I disobeyed him," I said, flushing with shame at the memory.

"He _hit_ you? Dude, that's major harsh." Michelangelo sounded angry. I opened my eyes to gaze at him warily. I wasn't sure what made him angry, but I hoped it wasn't me. He came over to the couch and knelt down beside me, taking my hand in both of his.

"Please…" I whimpered. "Please, whatever I've done, I'm sorry! Please, don't hurt me, Sir!" I shrank back, wishing I could sink into the cushions and disappear.

"Saishi, nobody's gonna hit you anymore, ok? Not as long as I'm around." His voice was quiet, but fierce. He wasn't laughing now. I shook, feeling his cool, dry skin against my fingers. I didn't dare try to pull away.

"You don't have to be scared of us. We're the good guys. Even Raph. I mean, he gets mad sometimes, but he'd never hurt you, Ok? You're safe here. Leo and Don, they'll find out where you belong. Everything's gonna be ok."

"I don't belong anywhere, Sir."

"Saishi, everybody belongs _somewhere_. Don't you have a family?"

"No, Sir."

"Dude. It's Mikey, ok? Not 'Sir'."

Tears slid down my cheeks. I closed my eyes, shaking. Such kind words… but he was so strong, so close. I could hardly breathe. _Raph gets mad sometimes…_ What would he do to me if he got mad at _me_? I didn't want to find out.

"Master Raphael will punish me if I displease him," I said. "I am only a slave."

"Raph," said Michelangelo. "His name is just Raph. Or Raphael, ok? You go calling him 'Master' and 'Sir', and he'll get a swelled head. He's hard enough to live with already. Don't worry. Raph wouldn't hurt you, even if you do make him mad. Not really. He whomps on me sometimes, but I'm his brother. You're just a kid. Raph's not gonna hit ya." He let go of my hand, and patted my arm awkwardly. "You wanna watch wrestling with me?" he asked.

"Yes… Michelangelo. I'd like that," I said, giving him a weak smile. It seemed to please him. He sat down in the chair and turned up the television. The men on the screen circled and snarled at one another. Michelangelo seemed to favor the dark-haired man.

"Go! Hit him with a chair!" he shouted. I shivered. As gentle as Michelangelo had seemed a moment ago, he and his brothers were warriors. I wondered whether I would survive long enough for Hakari to retrieve me.

I let the sounds from the television wash over me. It was pleasant to lie on the soft cushions. I was never allowed to lounge around with Hakari. He expected me to be working, cleaning his apartment or preparing his meals, all the time. He said he had no use for a lazy servant. The pain in my side began to ease. As long as I didn't move, my ribs didn't hurt as much. Michelangelo was staring intensely at the television. Every so often he shouted with approval or frustration at the people on the screen, but his noise no longer terrified me.

I let my eyes wander around the room. The place was so dirty! There wasn't actual dirt, surprisingly enough for a sewer, but empty pizza boxes were piled on the table, and chip bags littered the floor. My palms itched with the desire to get up and clear the clutter away, but I dared not move. Leonardo told me to lie still, and I wasn't about to get him angry with me.

I closed my eyes. I wondered what my new Master… Raphael… would be like. I wondered how he would handle me, and whether he'd make me use my magic to do terrible things to his enemies. I wondered how long I'd be allowed to lie upon this soft couch. I wondered if Hakari's plan to sneak in and steal back the bottle would succeed, and what the turtles would do if they caught him. I wondered if I would be alive by the time he came for me.

"Saishi?" Leonardo's voice snapped me out of my thoughts. His silent approach unnerved me.

"Yes, Leonardo?"

"Saishi, this is our Sensei, Master Splinter," said Leonardo. He moved aside, and I bit back a squeak of terror. A four-foot rat approached the couch where I lay, walking on two legs and wearing a robe.

***


	4. Chapter 4 Genie

Chapter 4 -Genie?-

Their Sensei? This was the one they called Master? _Well, why not?_ I thought. _I have a turtle for a Master._ I struggled to sit up, to greet him properly, but he gestured with his hand.

"Lie still, Saishi. Leonardo tells me you are injured. You should not try to get up," he said. I recognized his voice as the one I'd heard earlier. The voice that sounded as though he never shouted. He obviously had no need to shout. His gaze had the calm of one who is completely at ease with himself, a quiet authority. Sensei… I knew from living with Hakari that "Sensei" meant teacher or Master.

"I am… pleased to meet you, Sir," I said. I had the feeling that this Sensei would not mind if I called him "Sir", and it felt wrong to address him with only his name as the others had instructed me to do.

"Welcome to our home. You may call me Splinter," he said. I nodded, knowing I wouldn't dare to call him by name. It seemed too disrespectful. "Saishi, Leonardo tells me you answer to a man named Richard Hakari," Splinter began. I shook my head. "Is this not so?"

"No, Sir," I said. "Master Hakari is no longer my Master. He…" I swallowed painfully.

"Take your time, Saishi," said Splinter gravely.

I shivered, but gathered courage from his gentle tone. "He… lost my bottle, and left me to die. Master Raphael is my master now. He retrieved my bottle." Splinter's eyebrows rose. I had the distinct feeling he knew I wasn't telling the entire truth.

"So, you are a genie?" asked Splinter quietly. "And you are bound to serve my son, Raphael?"

Michelangelo hooted. "A genie, Sensei? Like that big blue guy from Aladdin? Hey, maybe Raph can wish for some pizza, I'm starving."

Splinter's eyes regarded me steadily. I swallowed hard, trembling, but I couldn't look away. "Yes, Sir," I answered.

"Splinter, this is crazy. If this kid's a genie, I'm the jolly green giant. He musta whacked his head too hard when he fell down the manhole." Raphael's angry voice made me jump. He was standing behind the couch, his arms crossed over his chest, frowning. I shrank into the cushions, but he wasn't looking at me.

"Raphael, I suggest we withhold judgment until we give our young guest an opportunity to prove his claim," said Splinter gently.

"So let 'im prove it," snapped Raphael.

"If it pleases you, Master," I said. I struggled to sit up. Leonardo moved to stop me, but I shook my head. "Please, Leonardo, it is awkward to do this lying down. I must get up."

"No," said Leonardo. "Saishi, if you get up now, you'll only injure yourself. Your ribs are badly broken, you could puncture a lung."

"I must prove myself to my Master," I said, but the room was tilting. My breathing came in ragged gasps as the pain stabbed through my chest.

"Raphael, say something. He's going to hurt himself," said Donatello.

I managed to sit up, but I could not stand. I leaned back into the couch. Short, quick breaths tore through my chest. "I'm sorry, Master," I whispered between gasps. "Please, if I may have just a moment…"

"Sit still, kid," growled Raphael. "Don's right, you're gonna hurt yourself if ya try to get up."

"But Master," I protested.

"No!" Raphael cut me off. I cringed. "You can show us your magic tricks later."

"Y… y… yes, Master," I quavered, trembling with fear and pain.

"And stop calling me "Master"," he snapped.

"Yes, Sir," I answered automatically. I felt his footsteps as he walked around to the front of the couch. He was frowning as he sat down in the chair. He leaned back, watching me. I felt an overwhelming urge to stand before him, but my body was too weak. I suddenly found the tops of my knees very interesting indeed. For a moment, the only sound in the room was my rasping. I tried to quiet my breathing, but the pain in my chest was relentless.

"Your ribs would give you less trouble if you'll let me bind them, Saishi," said Donatello, kneeling beside the couch. "Will you take off your shirt?"

"What?" I turned fearful eyes to the purple-masked turtle. His brothers had been kind to me so far, but I couldn't take my shirt off, I just couldn't. "No, Sir, thank you. I'm sure I'll be fine in just a moment."

"Saishi, you're in pain, and it's hard to breathe. The binding would help support the bones, and you'd feel better."

I shook my head. "Thank you, but no, Sir." My head felt as though it were weighted with lead. I lay back against the couch, against the soft cushion. That was better. My head felt so heavy, and resting it against the cushions eased the stabbing pain.

"Kid, Don's tryin' to help ya. Do what he says," Raphael commanded. I closed my eyes. Fear clawed at my chest. If Master ordered it, I had no choice but to obey, but I was very afraid. I didn't want them to see the marks of Hakari's discipline.

"Please, Master, I do not wish to trouble anyone."

"You need a bath anyway. Maybe you noticed, we found you in the sewer. You stink," said Raphael. "And quit calling me 'Master'!"

"Yes, Sir."

"Raphael. It's Raphael, kid."

"Raph, he can't wash himself. He can barely sit up. You're going to have to help him," said Leonardo.

"What? Why me?"

"Well, he's your genie," said Leonardo. I could hear the hint of a smile in his voice, but I was not laughing. Neither was my Master.


	5. Chapter 5 A Bed and a Bath

Chapter 5 -A Bath and A Bed-

"No, please, Sir." I picked my head up, and bit back a whimper as the pain stabbed. "I… I will bathe myself if he wishes it. There is no need to trouble my Master." I leaned forward, and started to rise, but the fire in my side blinded me, and my legs refused to hold me. I sat on the edge of the couch, gasping for air, feeling the sweat drip down the back of my neck.

"Oh fer cryin' out loud." Raphael was beside me before I had time to think. He scooped me up, cradling me on one arm as if I were a child. "Come on, Leo, a bath was your idea, you can at least run the water." I shivered, breathless with terror. I could feel the muscles in his arms through the thin silk of my shirt and pants. I dared not move or speak. I closed my eyes, unable to bear the terrible nearness of my newest Master.

He carried me down a short hallway, into another room. I opened my eyes. The bathroom was surprisingly clean. A claw-foot tub took up most of one wall. Leonardo knelt, turning on the taps and testing the water with his hand.

"Please, truly you mustn't bother, Master," I whispered, forgetting in my fear that he'd commanded me not to call him "Master". I felt his muscles tense. A cry escaped me. "I'm sorry, I forgot! I won't call you 'Master' anymore. Please, don't punish me!"

"Relax, kid, I ain't gonna hurt ya," he said gruffly. I shivered, but he sat down on the toilet lid, and set me on the floor more gently than I expected. I sank to my knees and bowed my head.

I shook like a leaf in strong wind, but Raphael made no move to strike me. He took my shoulders and lifted me up. "Come on, Kid, let me help ya. Relax, ok? We ain't gonna hurt ya, I promise."

"Y… y… you're not?" I stammered.

"Of course not. We don't hurt kids," said Raphael. He gestured to my shirt. "Can ya get undressed, or do ya need help?"

"I… I can do it." My hands shook so that it was hard to undo the silver buttons.

Leonardo turned off the water. "Come on, Saishi, get in the bath. You'll feel better when you're clean, I promise."

I knew the moment had come when I must remove my shirt and pants and get into the water. I knew Raphael would be angry with me if I refused. But I could not move. I knelt there on the floor, frozen with fear. I couldn't think, could barely breathe.

"Listen, Kid, what's the matter? Are ya creeped out?" Raphael asked. "'Cause I know we're like, huge turtles and all, but…"

"N…n…no, Master, it's not that," I said, surprised.

"You don't mind me and Leo helping ya, then? I mean, it doesn't creep ya out when we touch ya, does it? We're not tryin' to scare ya, Kid. You're too weak to do this on your own."

"No, Sir! It's… it's not that, Sir." I raised my head to meet Raphael's eyes. He was staring at me with such intensity I blinked.

"Huh. Well, some humans get kinda freaked by giant reptiles."

"I… I'm not human, Sir."

Raphael snorted. "All right, whatever, Kid. Well, we ain't got all night." He took my shirt and pulled it back over my shoulders. I kept my head down, ashamed to look him in the face. I heard Leonardo draw a sharp breath.

Raphael broke the silence. "Who did this to you, Kid?" His voice was very quiet. I shrank down, pressing myself against the floor, but did not answer. I was too terrified to speak. "Saishi, who did this to ya?" asked Raphael again, more forcefully.

I could not refuse to answer. "My… my Master, Sir. My former Master."

"That Richard guy ya told Leo about? Hakari?"

"Y…y… yes, Sir." I felt his hands on my bare shoulders, and I shuddered, sucking in a breath that felt as though it would crack my chest in two. He lifted me and made me stand before him. I swayed. "Please, Raphael don't… please don't hurt me!"

"Saishi, you listen to me, and you listen good. I am _not_ gonna hurt you. And this Richard, this Hakari guy, he ain't gonna hurt you anymore either, you got that? Nobody's _ever_ gonna hurt you like this again. I'll protect you, ok?" Raphael gave my shoulders a little squeeze. I could feel his hands shaking. I tried to look him in the eye, but his gaze was so fierce, so angry, I couldn't hold it.

"Yes, Sir," I whispered, telling him what he wanted to hear, though I didn't believe him.

"Raphael. My name's Raphael. Ok, kid?"

"Yes. Raphael. And… and my name is Saishi," I said. I swallowed hard, frightened at my own bold answer, but he laughed, making me cringe.

"You're ok, Saishi," said Raphael. "Come on, I'll help ya get washed so Don can wrap up those ribs. Then you should get some sleep, ok? You'll feel better after ya sleep."

"Yes, Raphael."

He helped me out of my pants, and lifted me into the bathtub. He gave me a washcloth and soap, and knelt beside the tub with a hand on my back to keep me from falling over. I felt very foolish and embarrassed at my own weakness, but Raphael was patient. When I was clean, he lifted me out of the bathtub and wrapped me in a towel. I tried to walk toward the door on my own, but I stumbled, and Raphael scooped me up again. I wasn't quite as terrified this time, but I had to close my eyes. He moved so swiftly, my stomach seemed to stay behind. He sat me down on the couch.

Donatello came out with a ball of what looked like a torn-up sheet. He had me stand with the towel draped about my waist while he wrapped the linen firmly around my chest. Finally he tucked the end in. "How does that feel, Saishi?" asked Leonardo.

"Much better, thank you, Sir," I said. His eye-ridges lifted, and I ducked my head. "I mean, thank you, Leonardo."

He smiled. "I've got one of April's spare tee-shirts she left here. You can wear that for now," he said. "It's the only clothing we have that will fit. Your pants and shirt will have to be washed, ok?" He handed me a soft white shirt.

"Thank you, Leonardo."

I put it over my head. I had trouble lifting my arm, but Raphael helped thread it through the sleeve. The shirt was absurdly long, and hung past my knees. I stood beside the couch, feeling foolish in my odd garment.

Michelangelo took one look and hooted with laughter. "He looks like a girl!" I felt my face go red with shame.

"Shuddup, Mikey," snapped Raphael. "You don't look like a girl, Saishi. Warriors wear robes. Master Splinter wears a robe, and _he_ doesn't look like a girl, does he, Mike?"

Michelangelo stopped laughing abruptly. "No!"

Raphael touched my jaw, lifting my chin so I had to face him. "Don't let Mikey get to you, ok, Kid? You're a tough little guy."

"Y… y… yes, Sir. I mean, yes, Raphael," I stammered. "Thank you." Raphael's kind words warmed my chest. I pushed the feeling down, cursing my own foolishness. He'd gut me like a fish if he found out what Hakari planned to do.

"Sensei has made Saishi some more tea, Raph. He should drink it and get some sleep," said Donatello.

"Ok, Don, thanks," said Raphael. Donatello set a little pot on the table, and poured a cup of the awful-tasting tea. Raphael held it out to me.

I took it reluctantly, but he was watching me, so I took as deep a breath as I could and held it while I gulped down the tea. When I finished, he took the cup from me.

"Come on, Kid. I'll show you where ya can sleep." I followed him to a room cluttered with comic books and odd equipment. My hands itched to clean up the mess, but I still felt so weak, so tired. "You can sleep here, Saishi," said Raphael. He pulled back a blanket and helped me climb up onto the cool, inviting sheets. I laid my head down on the pillow. Mmmm… it had a sweet, spicy scent, very much like… Raphael.

I sat up, too quickly, and had to stifle a cry of pain. "This is your bed, Master," I exclaimed, forgetting myself for a moment.

"Yeah. It's ok, Kid," he said. "And don't call me…"

"I'm sorry," I said quickly. "I meant 'Raphael'. But I can't take your bed! Where will you sleep?"

"Don't worry, Kid," he said. "Leo sleeps on the couch half the time anyway. I'll crash in his bed." I tried to protest, but he held up his hand. "Saishi, it's fine. You lay down now and get some rest. You've got to let those ribs heal."

"Yes, Raphael," I said softly, lying down again. I didn't want to argue, to risk making him angry. He reached over, and I gasped, instinctively ducking my head and raising a hand to shield my face.

"Hey, relax. I'm just gettin' the blanket for ya," he said.

"I'm sorry, Raphael," I whispered. I was shaking.

He tucked the blanket around me. "Get some sleep."

I closed my eyes, and fell asleep listening to the sound of the television and their voices, wondering what on earth I'd gotten myself into, and how I would get back to Master Hakari in one piece.


	6. Chapter 6 In Trouble

Chapter 6 -In Trouble-

_Saishi…_Master Hakari's voice echoed through the darkness. He was searching for me… searching the tunnels. _Saishi, where are you? Where are you, Saishi? You're supposed to be working, not lying around. I will find you… you will be punished!_

_No! No, Master, leave me alone…_ My cry was muffled, lost in the endless tunnels. I was running, running in the icy water of the sewers, searching for my Master, but I felt so hot, I was sure I was going to suffocate. I took deep, gasping breaths, but the air was so thin. My legs felt heavy, as if they were turning to stone.

The turtles' laughter rang out behind me, echoing, crashing around the tunnel walls. I couldn't out-run the terror pursuing me, could not escape. I felt cruel, hard hands gripping my shoulders, dark eyes, framed with a blood-red mask glittered with anger, boring into mine… _You're no warrior. You will die for your treachery…_

"No!" I cried out, feeling myself falling, falling… Arms caught me, lifting me up. They felt wrong, unfamiliar. Hakari's arms were not so thick… _I've disturbed Master's rest! _The frantic thought fizzed through my brain. _I will be punished!_

"Hey. It's ok, Saishi, you're safe."

"No! Let me go! Don't hit me, Master, please…"

"Saishi. Don't call me 'Master'."

I felt myself being lifted up, and I squirmed. The pain in my side was sharp. I moaned. "Please, Master, please stop… I'll be good… I will obey…" I was lifted, and set down gently on a cool, smooth surface. I cringed, trying to curl up, to protect myself. Hands caught my wrists, pinning me down. A cry escaped me.

"Kid. Hey, Kid." Raphael's voice reached me through the fog. "Wake up. You're dreaming." I was hot, so hot, burning. The cool sheets felt good against the back of my neck and shoulders, but I was too afraid to enjoy it.

"Master… Raphael, I'm sorry," I whispered, finally fully awake. "Please, don't be angry with me…" He released me. I felt him move beside the bed, and cringed, instinctively turning to my side and curling up. There was a long moment of silence.

Slowly, I opened my eyes and turned my head just far enough to see Raphael's expression. I could see his eyes in the dim light. He wasn't wearing his mask. Deep shadows fell across his face, making him look dangerous and angry. He leaned forward, and I recoiled. I couldn't help it. I was in trouble, and I knew it. I was sure I was about to find out what punishment would be like with my strange new Master.

"Take it easy, Kid. What happened? Did ya have a bad dream?"

"Y… yes, Sir." My voice came out in a croak. The fire in my ribs had subsided somewhat, but I was still so hot. I moved restlessly on the sheet. "I… I'm sorry."

He reached up and brushed a finger against my forehead. I ducked, gasping, and closed my eyes. _This is it! Oh please, please don't let his punishment be too painful…He said he wouldn't hurt me. I'm already injured; I don't know how much more I can bear…_ The thoughts tumbled over themselves in my mind, confused and confusing.

"You're burning up. I'm gonna get Leo, Kid. You stay here, ok?"

"Yes, Sir." I trembled. Why did he need his brother? Would he have Leonardo hold me down while he beat me? _I can't bear it… I can't… he's too strong… Oh Allah, what have I gotten myself into? I wish I were home with Master Hakari…_

I rolled slightly to my stomach. My hand found the edge of the bed, and I pulled myself over. Waves of dizziness washed over me. I swung my legs over, stretching to touch the floor.

"Leo. Leo, wake up." I heard Raphael's voice from the next room, and shivered.

_I can't bear it… I can't…Leonardo has been kind to me. I can't bear to have him restrain me, I can't bear to face Raphael's punishment… I just can't… I must escape._ I pushed my self up, forcing my trembling legs to stay straight, to hold me up. I swayed. Only the terror of crashing to the floor and jarring my aching side kept me on my feet. I tried to take a step, and stumbled, nearly falling. I knew I couldn't run.

_I must hide…Must conceal myself._ I looked around the room, desperate to find a hiding place. A second bed was pushed against the wall. A huge lump snored loudly on top. Michelangelo. His blanket hung down over the side, creating a little tent under the bed. It was inadequate, but it was the only hiding place in the room. I sank to my knees, unable to walk, and crawled toward it. Desperation loaned me speed, and I pulled my feet into the cool recess just as I heard Raphael's footsteps returning. I hugged my knees to my chest, shuddering.

"Kid? Hey Kid, where are you?" His voice grated with anger.

"I thought you put him in your bed, Raph." Leonardo sounded annoyed.

"I did, Leo. I told him to wait right here. He can't have gone far."

"What did he say?"

"I told ya, he was having a bad dream." Furniture scraped the floor, and I saw the leg of Raphael's bed rise. He had lifted the entire bed to look underneath. I closed my eyes, trying hard not to think about what he'd do when he found me.

"Did he say anything?" Leonardo's footsteps moved into the room.

"He was crying. I think he was dreamin' about… you know, that Hakari guy. I'm gonna kill him, Leo, with my bare hands." I covered my face with my hands, forcing myself to keep silent. I was really in for it now. Raphael sounded furious.

"Now, Raph, remember what Splinter said. You can't go off after Hakari half-cocked…"

"Damn it, Leo, you saw what he did to the kid!"

"I know, Raph. I want to get him, too. But how do you know Saishi isn't a plant? How do you know the Foot didn't send him to lure us out into the open?" I cringed. If they'd figured out Hakari's plan, never mind being punished for waking Raphael up, I was dead.

Raphael snorted. "The Foot ain't that clever, Leo." His footsteps moved closer to my hiding place. I shrank back, deeper into the shadows, but there seemed to be a wall of objects behind me, pressing me forward with sharp edges. I was trapped. I covered my face with my hands in despair, and waited for the inevitable.

"Raphael, can't you be careful for once in your life?"

"Leo, I'm gonna find this Hakari, and _carefully_ take him apart piece by piece. Then, if the kid is what he says he is, I'm gonna wish the Foot off the face of the earth. Is that careful enough for ya?"

I never heard Leonardo's answer. Raphael lifted the blanket. I scrambled back against the mountain under Michelangelo's bed with a cry, but Raphael was too quick for me, and too strong. He caught my arm and pulled me out. I struggled wildly, but it was no use. I might as well have struggled against iron bands.

"Stop it, Kid, you're gonna hurt yourself," he commanded.


	7. Chapter 7 I'll Stay With You

Chapter 7 -I'll Stay With You-

I stopped fighting and went limp, trying to let my weight drag me out of his grasp, but he did not let me go. He reached down with his other arm, and scooped me up, cradling me against the front of his shell. I lifted my free hand to shield my face. Sobs shook me. I couldn't speak, could hardly breathe, for fear and pain. Raphael's hand on my arm was strong, but he wasn't squeezing or twisting. His strength was controlled, held in check. I was more terrified than in that moment than I'd ever been of Hakari. Hakari shouted and slapped me when he was angry. Sometimes he'd beat me. But somehow, this holding back was more frightening, more deliberate. Raphael would take his time punishing me. I whimpered. I was really in for it now.

"Hey, take it easy, I've got ya now. You're gonna be ok, Kid." He carried me to the bed, and laid me down. I tried to move away, but he caught me and made me lie still. I turned my face away toward the wall, and covered my mouth with the back of my hand. I did not want to disgrace myself by crying out, but I couldn't stifle the whimpering sobs that shook me.

"Come on, Kid, look at me. You're ok. Just take it easy…" The words rolled over me without sticking, making no sense to my brain.

"I'm sorry," I squeaked. "Please, Master, I'm sorry… have mercy, I beg you…"

"It's ok, you're safe. Look at me, Kid." A green hand caught my chin, turning my head so I had to look up at him. I cringed, trying to shield my face from the blow I was sure was coming. His other hand caught my wrist, drawing it down, away from my face, and pinning it at my side. I squirmed, but could not escape.

"No, please…" Tears blurred my vision and dripped down the sides of my face, soaking my hair. I didn't dare lift my free hand to wipe them away.

"Raph, you're scaring him," said Leonardo.

Raphael was frowning. "I'm not trying to scare him, Leo. Saishi, it's ok, we're not gonna hurt ya, kid. Just take it easy. I'm gonna let ya go now. Lay still, Ok? I don't want ya to hurt yourself. You gonna be still if I let ya go?"

I nodded, blinking the worst of the wetness away from my eyes. "Yes, Master. I will lie still. Please, Master, I won't try to escape again… Please, just… just be quick, Sir." I closed my eyes, but didn't dare try to turn my face away again. I held myself rigid, trembling, and waited… Nothing happened. The moments ticked by. I sweated, and shivered, chilled. After what seemed an eternity, Raphael spoke.

"Leo, wake Splinter, wouldya? I think he's delirious, and his skin is burning."

"Sure, Raph. I'll be right back." answered his brother. He left, and I almost wanted to call out to him, to beg him to come back, so I would not be left alone with Raphael, but he was gone before I could form the words. I lay very still, shaking.

"Hey, Kid, take it easy." His hand touched my forehead, making me flinch and gasp with fear. Hot tears spilled down my cheeks.

"I'm sorry," I whispered, sniffing. "I'm sorry, Master, I didn't mean to cause so much trouble. Please… What are you going to do to me?"

"I'm not gonna do anything to you, Kid. Take it easy, ok? How come you were hiding under Mikey's bed, anyway? I told ya to stay put."

"I thought…" I closed my eyes against a wave of dizziness. "I thought you would punish me, Master. I… I disturbed your rest." Chills made me shiver again. Why was he talking to me? Why wasn't he hitting me? What cruel game of cat and mouse was he playing with me?

"Don't call me 'Master', Kid."

"Yes, Sir."

"Don't be scared, Kid. I ain't gonna punish ya."

"You… you're… not?" I whispered. I blinked, the salty tears stinging my eyes.

"Of course not. I told ya, I don't hurt kids."

"But..." I felt as though the world was going wrong somehow, and it would turn out to be my fault. "I'm not a child, Master. I am a mere genie, only a slave."

"It doesn't matter," he replied gruffly. "You're weaker than me, right? Unarmed? You're not trying to hurt anyone. So why should I hurt ya?"

His hand touched my arm, and I shivered. His fingertips felt cool and dry against my skin. His touch was not unpleasant. The fear slowly released it's death grip on my chest. "Are ya ok now?" he asked.

I nodded slowly. Amazingly, I was ok. I was beginning to trust, at least marginally, that he wasn't going to cut me into tiny pieces to garnish a pizza. Not yet, anyway. A loud noise made me twitch. Raphael laughed quietly. Michelangelo was snoring. I wanted to laugh, but I felt weak and cold… so cold. I shook so hard my teeth chattered. Raphael leaned closer. For once I didn't flinch or turn away.

"Are ya cold?" he asked.

"Y…y… yes."

He leaned over me and pulled the blanket over me. I shivered, snuggling into the folds. I felt as though I'd never be warm again.

"My son, what is wrong?" Splinter approached the bed.

Raphael sat back. "He's sick, Sensei. He's hot, but he keeps shaking, and he says he's cold. Can you make him some more tea or somethin'? Should we get Donny?"

The huge rat came close to the bed. His slender fingers brushed my forehead. I closed my eyes. His fingers were warm and slightly furred, and rested velvet-light against my head. I sighed, deeply comforted. "The tea will not reduce this fever." Splinter's voice was low, grave. "And I fear it is beyond your brother's skills to heal." I drifted.

"Splinter, what does he need? What do I need to do?"

"He must rest. We can only wait, Raphael. He will need to fight off this infection on his own."

"There must be somethin' I can do." Raphael sounded angry. I wanted to speak, to tell him it was all right, I didn't need anything, but my eyes felt so heavy, and Splinter's touch was so pleasant. I was floating, drifting.

"Raphael!" Splinter's voice was sharp. He took his hand away. A moan escaped me. I felt him moving away, and the moan rose to a cry.

"Please, don't leave me." I struggled to sit up. "Raphael, please…"

"Lay down, Saishi," said Splinter. "You must rest."

"No… Master… Raphael. Please don't leave me."

"I will speak to Raphael. You must lie still." Splinter's paw touched my shoulder, and then he was gone. I lay very still, listening to the raised voices in the next room.

"I have to do somethin', Master. I can't just sit here and do nothin'!" Raphael sounded angry.

"Don't leave me," I whispered. Tears slid down my cheeks. "I'll be good… please don't leave me…"

"He's asking for you Raphael." Splinter's voice was soft. I could barely make out the words. "My son. The best thing you can do is stay with him. For whatever reason the boy has bonded with you. He needs you."

"Splinter, I can't stand it. He's so sick. What can I do?"

I could not hear Splinter's reply. The quiet stretched on. Despair threatened to overwhelm me.

"Kid?" Raphael's voice, close to the bed, made me jump.

"Master…" a sob of relief caught in my throat.

"Don't call me 'Master'."

"Yes… Raphael." I felt him sit down on the edge of the bed. He took my hand in his, and I gripped as tightly as I could. I shifted over to make room for him, tugging at his hand. "Please, do not leave me, Sir." I whispered. Raphael's free hand brushed the hair away from my forehead.

"Don't worry kid, I'm right here. I'll stay with you."

"Thank you… Raphael." I was floating, drifting, but as my fingers grew weaker, he gripped my hand, anchoring me.


	8. Chapter 8 The Meaning of Honor

Chapter 8 -The Meaning of Honor-

"Kid?"

"Yes, Sir?" I felt sleepy. The sound of his voice was so pleasant, I wanted him to talk to me.

"Did Hakari mean for us to find you?"

"Yes, Sir." I knew I should be afraid to admit the truth to Raphael, but his hand holding mine was leathery and smooth, and his voice was so soft, I could not summon the energy to be afraid.

"Why? Why did he leave you?"

"I do not know, Master." I struggled to focus. _You have to keep your mouth shut, Saishi…_

"Don't call me that. You don't know why he left ya?"

"I'm sorry… Raphael… I do not know." Hot tears trickled down my cheeks again as shame washed over me. For the first time in my life, I wanted a Master to like me, and I had to lie to him to stay alive.

"This man, Hakari, what's he like?"

This was safer ground. "He… he is very clever, Sir. He was a thief before he acquired my bottle, an expert at what he did."

"So he's a criminal, huh?"

"Yes, Raphael. But he did not need to steal once he had me."

"Why was he so mean to ya?"

"I… I failed to please him. I was not quick enough to obey. I argued with him." I felt Raphael shift on the bed.

"Some people hurt people just because they can. Hakari sounds like one of those types, a bully. Bullies are cowards, and they have no honor."

"What is honor?"

"Honor is… loyalty. Ya gotta do what's right, even when it's hard. Taking care of the people who depend on you. Taking care of your family, that's honor."

"I have no family. I'm just a slave." Tears slid down my cheeks, but I didn't know why.

"Everybody needs ta have somebody," said Raphael softly. "You can stay with us. We'll take care of ya, Kid."

"I do not belong here. I am not worthy of your kindness, Raphael," I whispered.

"Why not?"

"No… no…" I moaned. The world was closing in. I was suffocating. How could I have been so foolish? Why didn't I listen to Hakari and keep silent? Now I was really in trouble. Raphael and the others would discover Hakari's plan, and they would kill Hakari, and me. I had failed my Master. I turned my face away.

"Raph, what're you doing? Why is Saishi crying?" Leonardo sounded angry. Everyone was angry with me. Raphael let go of my hand, and I turned to my side, curling up to protect myself. I felt the bed shift as he stood up.

"You were right, Leo. He's a plant. Hakari sent him to us on purpose."

"Raph, he needs to rest. You've upset him."

"Leo, listen to me. I think Hakari did this _on purpose_. He sent the kid to us. It's a trick. We've got to figure out what this guy's game is. What if he planted a bug on the kid? Or on that bottle?"

"Raph, relax. Don checked the bottle over. It's really old, and there's something odd about it, but it's not bugged."

"What about the kid?"

"Don has a scanner. He can check Saishi in the morning. Come on, Raph. Let him sleep for now. Whatever else the kid is, he's hurt, and he's sick. He needs sleep."

"We need answers! What if Hakari's using him to get to us?"

"Raph, Saishi's not the enemy. Come on, I want to show you some stuff Don found today." Their voices moved away, but Raphael's words stayed with me, burning shame into me like a brand. _The kid's a plant. Hakari sent him…No honor. _ I closed my eyes, and sank into the merciful darkness.


	9. Chapter 9 Buds

Chapter 9 -Buds-

I don't know how long I drifted between wakefulness and sleep. Voices drifted around me. I was never sure when I was dreaming, and when I was awake.

You betrayed me, Saishi…You betrayed me! I tried to ignore Hakari's voice, but it echoed through the darkness, haunting me. Raphael's wasn't much better. Stay with him, Mikey. Don't let him out of your sight. We can risk letting him get away. Something's not right about this. Hakari meant for us to find him. He could lead this guy right to the Lair.

_Aww, he's just a kid, Raph, and he's sick. He's not going anywhere._

_Just watch him! We'll be back._

_What're you gonna do if you find Hakari?_

_Don't worry about that. Just keep an eye on the kid._

Some time later, cool fingers brushed my forehead.

"Hey, little Dude. Come on, Master Splinter made you some broth. Saishi, wake up. You've got to try to eat." Michelangelo's voice was so far, so distant, I could let it wash over me. I didn't want to wake up. I wanted to sleep, to drift. "He won't wake up, Master Splinter."

"It's all right, Michelangelo. We will try again in a few hours."

I felt them move away, and wanted to call them back. _Don't leave me…_I was alone. _Why am I still alive? Why hasn't Raphael killed me yet? He suspects that I was sent to betray them… Perhaps he wishes to question me… oh Allah, I already hurt so much…What can I tell him without betraying Hakari? What if he doesn't believe what I tell him? What will he do? _I felt my body shudder, but even the pain seemed apart, as if it belonged to someone else. I slipped into unpleasant dreams.

When I woke again, I came back to reality like a diver breaking the surface. Sounds came to me clearly, and I could feel the coolness of the air on my face. My body felt hot, and shifted, feeling the weight of several blankets piled on me. I moved my arm, shifting them aside. I felt weak and shaky, but definitely awake.

"Sensei, he's moving! I think he's awake!" Michelangelo's voice startled me into opening my eyes. I blinked against the light.

"Saishi! Dude, am I glad to see you. How're you feeling?" I blinked again, and finally my eyes were able to focus on the orange-masked turtle towering over the bed. I was not used to such a friendly greeting, from anyone, and it unnerved me.

"I… I am well, Sir." I said cautiously. "Please, Sir, where is my Master?"

"Dude, it's Mikey, not 'Sir', remember?" He smiled, showing his teeth. A turtle with teeth. Weird.

"Yes, Michelangelo. I remember." I tried to sit up. He knelt beside the bed, and put his hand on my shoulder. I shivered, but his touch was gentle.

"Easy, Saishi. You shouldn't try to get up yet. Dude, you've been out for like, two days."

"Perhaps now he will try to take a little broth." Splinter approached the bed, a bowl in his paws. I shrank back, feeling very uncertain. Why weren't they angry, shouting at me? Why didn't they ask about Master Hakari's plan? Where was Raphael?

"Please, Sir, where is my Master? Where is Raphael?" I asked fearfully.

"Raphael and the others are out at the moment. They should return shortly. You must rest now, Saishi, and try to eat. Michelangelo, please help Saishi sit up so he can drink this broth." Michelangelo reached for me, and I shrank away.

"Please, don't!" I gasped, trembling. I couldn't shake the feeling that I was in awful trouble.

"Saishi." Splinter's voice was calm. "Please let Michelangelo help you. We mean you no harm."

"Yeah, chill-ax micro-Dude. Raph asked me to take care of you. And Master Splinter's not gonna hurt ya. It's ok, honest." Michelangelo reached for me again, and this time I didn't pull away. He put his hand behind my back, supporting me so I could sit up. To my surprise, the pain was much less. I took a slow, experimental breath. My ribs hardly twinged.

Splinter smiled. "You heal quickly, young one."

I nodded. "Yes, Sir. It's the magic. I heal more quickly than most mortals."

"Are you mortal, Saishi?" Splinter's bushy eyebrows rose. "Is the book of mythology wrong then? Genies are reported to be nearly indestructible."

I flushed with shame. "I… I am mortal, Sir, because my father was human. I am only half-Jin. My human half makes me mortal, and more vulnerable than a real genie, and my powers are not as strong."

Splinter touched my arm. "There is no shame in your heritage, young Saishi. You must never feel ashamed of being who you are. You must never be ashamed of your ancestors origins. Only actions may bring shame to a family."

I could not meet his eyes. No matter what Hakari had against the turtles, I knew I should warn them of his plan. I took a deep breath, but I could not speak. I was too afraid of what Hakari would do to me when he got the bottle back.

"Seriously, Dude," Michelangelo shifted closer to me. I cringed, startled, but he smiled at me. "Seriously. We're mutant turtles. Master Splinter's a mutant rat. You shouldn't be ashamed of being half human."

I returned his smile weakly. "You are very kind," I said.

Splinter held the bowl out to me. "Would you like me to hold the bowl for you, Saishi?" he asked.

I shivered at the thought of letting someone serve me, especially someone as wise and revered as Splinter. "No! I mean, no, Sir. You don't need to do that." I reached for the bowl, and tried to lift it, but my hands were shaking. I spilled a bit of the broth.

Splinter took the bowl from my hands, and I drew back, fearing he would strike me for making a mess. Splinter carefully lifted the bowl to my lips. I tried to turn away, but Michelangelo was too close, I couldn't move.

"Saishi, please. Drink." Splinter's voice was so firm, I had to obey. Reluctantly, I took a sip. The soup was so good! I slowly drank all of it. Finally Michelangelo let me lay back down. "Very good," said Splinter calmly. I felt warm with his praise.

"Please, Sir, will you tell Raphael… Will you tell him I was good?" I asked timidly. My chest ached with confused feelings. I wanted so much for Raphael to think I'd done well, and yet I could not warn him of Hakari's plan. I was too afraid.

"Saishi, why do you still fear my son?" asked Splinter. I heard him set the bowl down. His velvet paw touched my hand, and I flinched.

"Master… Raphael, he is so angry, Sir."

"Saishi, Raphael will protect you. He does not trust easily, but he takes care of those who depend upon him. He has much anger, but his anger is not with you. His sense of honor is strong. You are safe here. If you remain loyal to Raphael and his brothers, you need not ever fear them."

Chills ran through me. If I remained loyal… I could not look Splinter in the eye. "Yes, Sir."

"Rest, now Saishi. Michelangelo will stay with you."

"Aww, do I have to, Master? Wrestle Mania Four is on…"

"Michelangelo!"

I flinched. It was the first time I'd heard even a hint of anger from Splinter. Michelangelo looked defeated, but not afraid.

"Yes, Sensei."

Splinter nodded to his son, and left us.

"Is… is he angry with you?" I whispered, trembling.

Michelangelo looked at me, surprised. "Who?"

"Your Master. Splinter."

"Naw, it's cool."

"You will not be punished? He sounded angry, but he did not strike you."

"What? Dude, Master Splinter doesn't hit us. Well, not outside the training dojo, anyway. Even then, it's only to help us learn, when we're training."

"I see." Actually, I was completely confused. I'd never known any Master as stern and yet as kind as Splinter seemed. He called the turtles his sons, and yet he himself was a rat. They called him "Master", but Michelangelo spoke with affection, as if he were their father. "Michelangelo?"

"Yeah, little Dude?"

"Perhaps I could move to the couch. You could guard me, as Raphael wishes, and watch Wrestle Mania Four at the same time."

"All right, Dude! That's a great idea." Michelangelo stood up, excited. "Aww, but I dunno if Splinter would like it. He says you need to rest."

"Please, Michelangelo. I feel much stronger now. I want to get up." I didn't want to be in Raphael's bed when he returned. His angry expression was too clear in my memory. I was uncomfortable in his room.

"Well… I'll ask Splinter if it's ok, ok?"

I shivered. I didn't want to anger Splinter with the request. He didn't like Michelangelo's impertinence before. What if he got angry? What if he got angry with _me_? But Michelangelo was out the door before I could call him back. I lay still, rigid with fear, and listened for any sound that might give me a clue to Splinter's reaction. Soon I heard footsteps returning.

"Good news, little Saishi Dude, Master Splinter says it's ok. He says the change might be good for you. He doesn't want you to walk, though. Is it ok if I carry you?" He leaned over the bed and scooped me up, taking my breath away.

"Please don't drop me!" I whimpered, catching the edge of his shell with my hand. I closed my eyes and swallowed hard against the nausea the movement brought on.

"Oh, it's ok little Dude. I'm not gonna drop you." Michelangelo carried me out to the couch. He laid me down gently, and covered me with the blanket. "There. Hey, are you ok? You're shaking. You sure about this Saishi? I can take you back to the bed…"

"No! No, please. I want to stay here. Please…"

"Ok, ok, chill out." Michelangelo knelt beside the couch. "Can I get you something? You want some more soup?"

"No." I was trying hard not to throw up. Fear does awful things to my stomach.

"Saishi, it's ok, really. Can you at least look at me?" Michelangelo's voice sounded so sad and worried, I opened my eyes. "That's better." He smiled that strange, toothy grin again, and I found myself smiling back. My stomach settled back to where it belonged.

"Hey, I'm sorry I scared you. What happened? I thought we were buds. How come you got so scared?"

"I'm sorry Michelangelo."

"Hey, it's cool. We're buds, ain't we, Saishi? That means we look out for each other. I'm not gonna let anything bad happen to you."

"Please, Sir, what is… buds?"

"Friends. I'm your friend, right? At least, I want to be."

"You… you wish to… to be my friend, Sir?" I felt very strange. I was used to people coveting me for my powers, but no one, ever, had wanted to be my friend before. "I… I would like that, Sir."

"Cool. We're buds, then."

"Cool," I echoed, a faint smile pulling my lips. Michelangelo was infectious. He grinned, and stood up. He grabbed the remote, and plopped down in the chair. "Awesome, we haven't missed the first round," he exclaimed. I smiled, and closed my eyes. I felt strangely secure with my new friend.


	10. Chapter 10 Suspicions

Chapter 10 -Suspicions-

The relative peace lasted most of the day. I sensed Raphael's presence before I heard his footsteps approaching. "Michelangelo, your brothers are returning," I said fearfully.

"Oh good. Leo was gonna pick up some pizza while they were out scouting around for Hakari. I'm starving," said Michelangelo. He grinned as the others entered the Lair. "Dudes, I hope you remembered the extra cheese."

"Michelangelo, you're supposed to be watching Saishi!" Raphael's voice rose with anger. I wanted to run away, to hide, but I forced myself to sit up. As my master came into the room, I stood to face him.

"I am here, Master. Michelangelo has not neglected his duty." Raphael stared at me, anger glittering in his dark eyes. His hands rested on the sais tucked in his belt. I trembled, but did not move.

"Saishi, you're awake!" Leonardo came to stand beside his brother. He touched Raphael's shoulder. Raphael glanced at him, and shrugged him off, but he let his hands fall away from the deadly sais.

"What's goin' on, Mikey?" he asked, still watching me. "I thought he was still too sick to get outta bed."

"He woke up, and Splinter said he could watch Wrestle Mania Four with me. Relax, Raph, he hasn't been outta my sight the whole time, just like you said. Chill, Dude."

"How are you feeling, Saishi?" asked Leonardo. He knelt, bringing his eyes level with mine. I took an involuntary step back, though his tone was gentle.

"I… I am better, Sir, thank you. Michelangelo and Splinter have been most kind."

"Did Michelangelo tell ya where we were?" Raphael's tone was sharp, suspicious.

I glanced at him, fearful. "No, Sir."

"We were lookin' for your Master. Hakari."

"B… b… but… why, Sir?" I stammered. I wasn't sure I wanted to hear the answer.

"To find out what his game is. But the address Don dug up for him is an empty apartment. Any idea where he might be hiding out? Or what he's plannin'?"

"No! No, Sir." I felt myself beginning to tremble with a familiar panic. My Master was angry, which could only mean one thing; I would be punished.

_Raphael said he wouldn't hurt me,_ I reminded myself_. He has not hurt me yet. And Michelangelo said I was his friend. He said he would protect me. But how can he protect me from my own Master?_

"Saishi," said Leonardo, "We won't let this Hakari guy hurt you, not ever again. But you have to help us. Are you sure you don't know where he could be? Or what he might be planning?" I swallowed hard, and forced myself to meet his gaze steadily.

"I swear, Sir, I don't know where he is."

Raphael snorted, and turned away. I drew a deep breath of relief. I was safe for the moment. At least until Hakari came for me.

"I believe you, Saishi," said Leonardo. "Raph, I think he's telling the truth." I burned with shame. Leonardo had been kind to me, and now he was standing up for me.

"Leo, I'm tellin' ya, this is nuts. Somethin's not right. We've got to get rid of this kid before Hakari and half the Foot come storming in here." Raphael's voice was sharp with irritation.

I sank to my knees and hid my face in my hands in terror. "Mercy," I whispered. "Please, Raphael, do not kill me!"

"Raph, stop it. You're scaring him," said Leonardo, standing and turning to his brother.

"Dude, uncool," said Michelangelo. I felt a hand touch my back, and I cringed, pressing myself to the floor. "Saishi, little Dude, relax. Raph's not gonna hurt you. I won't let him. I said I'd protect you. We're buds, remember?"

"Oh yeah, like you could stop me." Raphael snorted. Michelangelo's hand left my shoulder. He stood beside me. I heard the rattle of his nunchucks.

"Bring it on, Dude."

"No!" I scrambled to my feet. "Please, don't!" Michelangelo stood facing his brother, his fists tight on his weapons. Raphael was glaring at him, but his sais were still in his belt. "Please, don't do this," I pleaded, catching Michelangelo's arm. "Please…"

"Don't be stupid, Mikey. I ain't gonna hurt the kid," said Raphael.

Michelangelo lowered his nunchucks. "I know, Raph, but you're scaring the little dude. Chill out, can't ya?"

"He's a threat to our safety, Mike. What do ya think will happen if he tells this Hakari guy where the Lair is? He could bring the whole Foot clan down on us."

"No, Master, I swear," I stepped forward, holding my hands out to Raphael. "Please, Sir, I beg of you." I sank to my knees in front of him. "I do not wish to cause your family trouble. Please just let me go, Sir. I will take my bottle and go away. Please! I am no threat to you. I do not know where I am. I can not lead Hakari to you, Sir."

"Stop calling me 'Sir'!" shouted Raphael. I ducked my head, cringing. I felt the ground shake as he stalked off. Tears slid down my cheeks. I knelt there for what seemed like a long time. A hand touched my shoulder, and I flinched.

"Get up Saishi. It's ok." Leonardo caught my arm, and pulled me up gently. "Do you need help? How are your ribs?"

"I… I can stand," I said shakily. "My ribs are healed, thanks to your kind care."

"Really?" Leonardo looked surprised. "They can't be fully healed already."

"They are, Sir. It's part of my magic. I am as fragile as any mortal, but I heal quickly," I explained.

"He's half human," said Michelangelo. "He told Splinter."

"Is that true, Saishi?" asked Leonardo, sitting down on the couch. He gestured with his hand. "Here, sit down."

I joined him reluctantly, sitting as far away as I dared. "Yes, Leonardo. My father was human. My mother was Jin. The master Jin is my mother's father."

"Wow," said Leonardo. "But how did you become a genie?"

"The Jin took me away from her. He put me in the bottle, and made me a genie. He gave me to my first Master, a thief in ancient Baghdad. When he was captured, my bottle was lost for almost a thousand years."

"How did you come to America, Saishi? And how did you come to have a Japanese name?"

"I had no name for many years. My next master was an archeologist. He found my bottle digging in the sands for ancient treasures. It was he who brought me to America."

"What happened to him?" Leonardo asked.

"I served him for a few years, but he was greedy. He made too many wishes for ancient treasures… People noticed, and began to wonder how he came to own so many rare and precious antiques. I tried to warn him… But he would not listen to me. Finally, his home was broken into. The thief stole several small treasures, including my bottle. When the stopper was removed, and I came out, I was facing Richard Hakari."

"So Hakari is just a petty thief?"

I nodded. "He was, when he found me. He was afraid at first, but soon he learned to use my magic carefully. He wasn't too greedy; he made small wishes, building his wealth slowly. That way, no one suspected his secret. He named me 'Saishi'."

"So why does Hakari have it in for us?" asked Leonardo.

"Dudes, can't you, like, keep it down? I'm tryin' to watch Wrestle Mania here." Michelangelo waved his hands. "Besides, Sensei says Saishi's supposed to be resting, not playing 20 questions." Michelangelo came to sit beside me on the couch. "You ok, little Dude?"

"Yes, Michelangelo." I shifted a little closer, feeling slightly safer nearer to him.

"Mikey's right. I'm sorry, Saishi. It doesn't sound as if this Hakari is a serious threat. We can talk about this later, when you're feeling better." Leonardo got up. "I'm going to get a slice of pizza. You guys want some?"

"Dude, you know the answer to that," said Michelangelo. "Extra cheese, extra mushroom, extra pepperoni. You did remember the extra pepperoni, right?"

"Of course, Michelangelo. How could I forget? Would you like some, Saishi?"

I shook my head. "Your Sensei very kindly gave me some broth, Sir."

"Ok. Pizza'd probably upset your stomach anyway. And don't call me 'Sir'."

He was gone before I could answer. I sat quietly on the couch next to Michelangelo, listening to him cheer on his favorite wrestler. Soon Leonardo came back with pizza on paper plates, and cans of soda. He sat in the chair to watch the wrestling match, leaving me room to lean against the arm of the couch. Michelangelo was as rowdy as ever, shouting when his favorite wrestler did something he approved of. He jumped up, shouting, and nearly spilled his soda when a man with a large gold belt came into the ring.

"So, the one with the belt is the winner?" I asked.

Michelangelo nodded. "Yeah, that's the Punisher. He's a good guy."

I shivered. "I do not like his name."

"It's just his wrestling name, Dude."

Leonardo snorted. "These guys are really just actors, Saishi."

"Yeah," said Michelangelo, "But they sure put on a great show. The Punisher protects his friends. See, that's his girlfriend, Lady Silvia. I'd like to protect _her_."

"You protected Master Hakari's friend once," I said without thinking.

"What?" Michelangelo took his eyes off Lady Silvia long enough to look at me.

"Oh! I… Well…" I stuttered, nervous.

"What do you mean, Saishi?" asked Leonardo, leaning forward.

"My Master… that is, my former Master, Hakari, he told me…" I stopped. I was afraid to reveal too much, but they were watching me now, the television forgotten.

"It's ok, little Dude. You can tell us." Michelangelo put his arm around my shoulders. "What happened?"

"Master Hakari…his friend Janice used to live with us, but she was unhappy. She wanted to leave, but Hakari wouldn't let her. One night she snuck out. Master Hakari was going to get her back, but he told me you and your brothers stopped him. You hit him, and his friend ran away."

"So that's why Hikari has it in for us," said Leonardo. "He's mad because we stopped him from hurting that woman. I remember him now. Mikey knocked him around pretty good."

I shrank away from Michelangelo. "You hurt Master Hakari!"

"Hey, little Dude, we had to stop him. He wouldn't let go of her arm. He was gonna hurt her. We're the good guys, remember?"

Panic squeezed my chest. What would they do now? "Master Hakari made me use my magic to keep her from leaving, but she was unhappy. I… I disobeyed my Master and let her go. I never meant for him to harm her."

"Relax, Saishi, it's not your fault your master was a slimeball." Michelangelo put his hand on my arm.

"Michelangelo's right, Saishi, _you're_ not our enemy," said Leonardo. "You're safe here with us. We'll protect you. You don't ever have to face Hakari again."

"What about Master Raphael?" I sniffed. I felt relieved; they weren't angry with me. "He wants to get rid of me. What will he do with me?"

"Don't worry about Raphael, Saishi." Leonardo sounded so confident, so firm, I almost wanted to believe him. "He'll come around. Just give him time."

"Would you really let me stay? Even though my Master was… a slimeball?"

Michelangelo's laugh was explosive. I cringed, ducking. "Little Dude, you can stay with us, like, _forever_." I looked up. Michelangelo was smiling. I looked at Leonardo.

He nodded. "Sure, Saishi. You can stay."

Tears burned my eyes. I blinked them away. _If only I could stay,_ I thought. _If only Master Hakari would give up his plan for revenge and let me stay here with you._

But I knew it was not to be. Hakari would be coming soon, any time now. He would find the turtles' lair, and betray them to their enemies. I curled up near the end of the couch as Michelangelo and Leonardo went back to watching their wrestling match.

_They have been kind to me. Even Raphael. He is angry, but he does not hit me. And Splinter would be so sad if Hakari harms them. I can't let him hurt the turtles. Michelangelo is my friend, he said we are 'buds'. If only there were a way to stop him… but the amulet will lead him straight to my bottle._ In an instant, I knew what I had to do. I had to get the bottle out of the Lair, away from the turtles. Then Hakari would not be able to find them. I closed my eyes. I would have to wait for just the right time to put my own plan into action.


	11. Chapter 11 Silly Genie

Chapter 11 -Silly Genie, Training's for Ninjas-

I slept for a long time. When I woke, the room was dark and silent. I sat up. Someone had draped the blanket over me, and my clothes were folded neatly on the table. I looked carefully around the room, but no one else was there. Very quietly, I got up and changed into my own clothes. I folded the tee-shirt and left it on the table.

Cleaning the room didn't take long, even without magic. I cleared away all the papers and pizza boxes, and stacked the DVDs, organizing them alphabetically by title. It felt good to be working, to have something to do. I'd had so much sleep, I felt full of energy.

I moved to the kitchen. That was a bigger challenge. Aside from the small mountain of dishes piled in the sink, the inside of the refrigerator looked like it hadn't seen a sponge in months. I searched the cabinets, but couldn't find soap or washrags. I hesitated for only a moment. Hakari had allowed me to use minor magic to complete my chores without asking his permission each time. Surely Raphael wouldn't mind… I held my hands together, concentrating. Soon the familiar blue glow formed, and the magic flashed out. The refrigerator was sparkling in an instant. Next, the pile of dishes disappeared from the sink, and spotless plates and cups were stacked in the cupboard.

Glancing at the clock, I realized morning was approaching. I began scouting the cupboards for what I'd need to prepare breakfast, but they were disappointingly bare. Once more, I concentrated, and supplies appeared on the shelves.

I stood back to admire my work. I heard movement from the rooms behind me, and hurried to the door to peek out. I saw a shadowy shape moving across the main room of the Lair. I gasped, fearing Hakari had found his way in. He stepped into the light, and I saw the figure clearly. It was Leonardo.

I breathed a sigh of relief, and got busy. Feeding four hungry warriors and their master would be a big job. Before long I'd prepared enough food for ten men. A mound of fresh yellow eggs were piled high on a platter. Bacon, fresh from the pan, sausage, and thick slices of ham took up a platter. Muffins were stacked three layers deep, and a large bowl of fresh fruit rounded out the meal. I poured orange juice into cups, and put water on to heat for the tea I suspected Splinter would prefer. As I was laying the last plate on the table, I heard a distinct _thud_ from elsewhere in the Lair. Startled, I nearly dropped the plate. Another thud, a crash, and I headed for the door to investigate. I peeked timidly out of the kitchen.

The sounds were coming from the room I'd seen Leonardo enter. I watched as Raphael made his way silently out of his bedroom. His movements betrayed no sense of urgency, though the sounds of a battle came clearly from the room. I hesitated. What on earth was going on? I was afraid to find out. The thuds and grunts continued. I made my way slowly across the main room. I heard Raphael shout. He was in trouble! I darted to the doorway, but stopped short of entering.

Fearfully, I slid the bamboo screen aside, and peered into the room. Michelangelo and Raphael faced one another, crouched in attack stances. Michelangelo's nunchucks whistled as they spun. Raphael's sais were in his hands. As I watched, they circled one another, searching for an opening. The brothers were fighting!

Like lightning, Raphael struck. He darted forward, blocking his brother's blow, and with a swinging kick, knocked Michelangelo on his back. Michelangelo rolled, dodging Raphael's next strike, and hooked a foot behind Raphael's ankle, bringing him down with a shout of anger. Raphael hit the ground rolling and was on his feet before I could blink. They circled one another.

"Dude, you are getting slow in your old age," taunted Michelangelo with a grin.

"Not as slow as you'll be after I kick yer butt," growled Raphael. He feinted toward Michelangelo. Michelangelo ducked, and with a leap, did a hand-spring off Rapheal's shell. Raphael landed face-first on the bamboo floor-mat. Michelangelo was on his back, pinning him in a flash.

"Say 'Uncle', Dude!" he crowed.

"Get offa me, Mikey," Raphael struggled, but Michelangelo's weight pinned him to the ground. I dashed forward without thinking.

"You leave my Master alone!" I shouted, launching myself at Michelangelo. I crashed into his plastron, and he rolled backward off Raphael. Only when Michelangelo caught my wrists and held me up and away from him did I realize how foolish I'd been to attack a trained warrior.

"What the shell are you doing?" shouted Raphael.

"Dude," said Michelangelo, frowning. "Sneak attacks are un-cool!"

"Michelangelo, Raphael, enough." Splinter's voice cut across the confusion.

"Hai, Sensei." Raphael stood up, and gave Splinter a short bow.

"Please, Michelangelo," I pleaded, terrified. "Please let me go." He sat up, and to my great relief, released my hands.

"Saishi, why did you interrupt our training?" Splinter sounded annoyed.

I sank to my knees, suddenly aware of five angry sets of eyes on me. "T…t…training, Sir?"

"Yeah, Kid, ninjitsu training. You didn't think Mikey'd try takin' me on for real, did ya?" said Raphael.

I felt increasingly foolish. "I… I did not know. I am sorry, Sir! I… I was afraid Michelangelo would hurt you, Master."

Raphael scowled. "Mikey couldn't hurt me if he wanted to," he said.

A burst of laughter startled me. "I'm sorry, Sensei," said Donatello, covering his mouth with his hand. He won the struggle with his mirth, barely. "I think Michelangelo needs to work on his concentration. Saishi took him down like a ton of bricks."

Splinter shot Donatello a glare that would've frozen my blood solid. "This has been an unfortunate misunderstanding. I am certain Saishi will not interrupt our training again. Isn't that right, Saishi?"

I cringed, knowing I was in trouble. "Yes, Sir! I'm sorry, Sir," I whispered.

"It's all right," said Splinter. I looked up. What? He wasn't angry? I glanced at Raphael. He was scowling, but not at me.

"We have finished for this morning, my students. I suggest you spend some time meditating after breakfast. Michelangelo, you need to pay attention to your surroundings in battle as well as to your opponent."

"Yes, Master Splinter." Michelangelo looked slightly abashed, and I hung my head. It was my fault he was being reprimanded.

"Let us go now, and take our morning meal," said Splinter. The turtles filed out of the training room. I stayed where I was, uncertain whether I would be punished for my mistake. I heard Splinter's light footsteps and the tap of his walking stick approaching. Cold sweat broke out across my forehead. Surely I was in for it now!


	12. Chapter 12 Breakfast

Chapter 12 -Breakfast-

Splinter's hand touched my hair, and I cowered, trembling. "Please, Sir, I did not mean to interrupt the training, Sir," I said.

"It is all right, Saishi. Get up and come into the kitchen. You are still healing. You should eat a nourishing breakfast. We will see what my sons find besides leftover pizza."

I took a deep breath. Relief flooded me. "I have prepared a meal, Sir." I said.

Splinter reached down and took my hand. He tugged gently, and I scrambled to my feet. "You have prepared breakfast?" His eyebrows rose and his tail twitched.

"Yes, Sir."

"That was very kind, Saishi. Thank you."

I blushed to the roots of my hair. No one, ever, had thanked me for fulfilling my duties to my Master. "You are welcome, Sir," I said.

Splinter took my elbow and led me to the door. "Come, Saishi. Let us join my sons."

The turtles were seated at the table when we came into the kitchen. "Sensei, where did all this food come from?" asked Leonardo.

"Yeah, Dude, check it out! We've got major breakfast munchies," exclaimed Michelangelo.

"It seems our young guest has prepared the morning meal," said Splinter calmly. "We will need another chair. Donatello, would you bring the one from your laboratory?"

"Hai, Sensei."

"Come on, Saishi, you can sit next to me, little Dude," said Michelangelo, moving over as Donatello returned with the chair. Splinter seated himself at the head of the table. I hurried to pour the water for his tea.

"M…may I serve you, Master?" I asked timidly, approaching Raphael.

"What?" He glared at me. I shrank back.

"M… may I… may I pour you more juice Sir? Would you like more toast? Or eggs?"

Raphael stared at me as if I'd grown spots. "Sit down, Kid," he growled. "I don't need you waitin' on me." Someone snickered, and Raphael's glare swept his brothers. They all suddenly found their plates quite interesting. Not so much as a smile could be seen.

"Won't you join us, Saishi?" said Splinter calmly.

I backed away from Raphael. "N…n…no thank you, Sir," I stammered.

"Sit down, Kid," said Raphael again. "Ya need to eat."

I dared not argue. "Yes, Sir. As you wish, Sir."

"Don't call me 'Sir'!"

I hurried to the empty chair. I slipped into it, determined to sit quietly while they ate. Michelangelo had other ideas, however. He grabbed my plate and began filling it.

"Come on, little Dude, you've got to try this great stuff," he said cheerfully, piling on more than I could hope to eat in a week. "You musta worked all night to make all this. You've gotta try the muffins. They are tubuloso!"

"Michelangelo, I am sorry I attacked you." I said, hanging my head.

Michelangelo touched my shoulder, and I flinched, but he only gave me a small squeeze. He set the over-flowing plate down in front of me. "Don't worry about it little Dude. Anyone can make a mistake, ya know? We're cool."

I sat very quietly, trying to attract as little attention as possible. The turtles' easy banter flowed around me. Laughter rang out often as they teased one another.

"Did you see Donny's lamo move?" Michelangelo hooted. "Dude, you've got to watch more wrestling. Jack Dingo tried using that hold that against The Punisher last week, and got his butt thrown over the ropes. You should've known Leo'd never fall for it."

"You want me to take ninja training from professional wrestlers?" Donatello's eye ridges rose. "And when I need a new bow, where should I send the cereal box tops?" Raphael snorted into his eggs.

"Seriously, Dude, don't diss The Punisher," retorted Michelangelo, undaunted.

"Maybe Saishi can teach him a few new moves, Michelangelo. He sure took you down," remarked Leonardo. Raphael snorted again, but Donatello laughed.

"That was classic! Saishi, you were like a torpedo. Maybe you should join our training sessions. You might be able to teach Michelangelo a thing or two."

Raphael picked up his plate and put it in the sink. "I'm goin' out," he said. He grabbed his sais from the table and tucked them into his belt. He favored me with a glare before stalking from the room. I set my fork down. Suddenly I wasn't hungry.

"Sure, Saishi," said Michelangelo, as there had been no break in the conversation. "If you wanna learn a few moves, I'm sure Sensei would help you learn the katas."

"Please, Sir, what are katas?" I asked.

"Basic forms. You know, it might not be a bad idea," said Leonardo. "The exercise would be good for you, Saishi, and the katas are a great way to build inner strength and discipline."

I nodded. "If Raphael allows it, Sir, I could try."

"Saishi," said Leonardo, standing and picking up his plate. "Don't call me 'Sir'."

"Well, there's no time like the present," said Donatello. "Why don't you show him a few katas, Michelangelo? Or maybe he should be teaching you."

Leonardo turned from the sink. "I'll do it, Donny. I need more practice anyway."

"Maybe I'll join you Dudes," said Michelangelo. "There's nothing good on TV this early anyway."

"I've got work to do in the lab," said Donatello, getting up. "After meditation, of course." He set his dishes in the sink and left.

"I should wash up," I said.

"Oh, don't worry about that, Saishi. Raph will do it later. It's his turn to do dishes, anyway," said Leonardo.

I shook my head. "I cannot allow my Master to be bothered with such mundane chores," I told him. "I will do the cleaning."

Michelangelo snorted. "Raph won't mind having somebody else do it for him."

"But Master Splinter might," said Leonardo, frowning. "He says we should do our own chores. It builds character. Leave them for now, Saishi. Listen, why don't you rest for a while? Michelangelo and I need to meditate. We shouldn't try to exercise on such full stomachs. We'll meet you in the training room in an hour, ok?"

"Yes, Sir," I said.

_Good. I'll have plenty of time to clean up. And perhaps I can make the bed and organize Raphael's room before he returns_, I thought.

I waited until Michelangelo and Leonardo left before clearing the table. There weren't many scraps left! These turtles could eat like no one I'd seen before. I smiled, scraping a few crumbs into the trash. It was nice to have someone enjoy the food I prepared. I'd never been allowed to sit down to a meal with Master Hakari.

_Imagine, Hakari sitting at the table with his servant._ I smiled at the thought. _He fancied himself a great man, always wanting me to serve him. Raphael wouldn't allow me to serve him. He insisted I sit and eat, too. I wish he weren't angry with me all the time, but he is a good Master. I wish I could stay here._ I shook my head. I knew this was all temporary. I would have to leave the Lair before Hakari came for me. I shivered, stacking the plates in the sink, and tried not to let images of Master Hakari's angry expression when I returned to him without the information he wanted crowd into my mind.


	13. Chapter 13 Don't Call Me 'Sir'

Chapter 13 -Don't Call Me "Sir"-

I washed the dishes quickly by hand. Sometimes it's nice to do chores without magic, to feel the water and soap and sponge under my fingers. I wiped the table and straightened the chairs. Finished in the kitchen, I made my way to Raphael's room.

_What a mess!_ I thought, I scanned the room. Unfamiliar equipment and comic books littered every available surface. I sighed. This would take some time. I began stacking the comic books. _The Brain From Outer Space. Merlin, Warrior Wizard. Attack of the Giant Slugs…_ Did Raphael actually read all these? I shook my head, piling them on the table which stood against one wall. Might as well make the beds. Raphael's bed took only a few minutes to straighten.

I laid his pillow carefully at the head of the bed and folded back the blanket neatly. There, it was ready and inviting. I began stacking some oddly-shaped bits of metal. They were bars with a weight attached to each end. I set them close to the wall, out of the way, so Raphael wouldn't trip over them on his way to his bed.

I worked my way around the room until I reached what seemed to be a pile of comic books and papers. Drawings littered the surface. _Another table?_ I wondered. But it seemed very short for a table, only as high as my waist. I stacked the books as before, setting them on the floor. Soon I cleared a space, and began to laugh. It wasn't a table. It was a bed.

_Michelangelo's bed_, I thought. _I remember now, I hid from my Master underneath. _

I poked my head under the blanket and gasped. Comic books were stacked under the bed in neat rows. A few had slipped off their piles. I picked them up and put them back in place, marveling at the size of the collection and the apparent organization. They seemed to be piled by title, and organized by date and issue number. I shook my head. I wasn't about to touch Michelangelo's system. I knew from living with Hakari how sensitive people can be about their collections. I gathered all the comics lying about the room and sorted them into piles. I added the new piles to the space under the bed. There. Hopefully Michelangelo wouldn't mind that, and the room looked much neater without them strewn everywhere.

I stacked the drawings neatly as well. Finally I made Michelangelo's bed. I set the drawings down on top of the blanket. I didn't know where he kept them, and I didn't want to risk leaving the delicate paper on the floor. The drawings were amazing. Some were of dragons and knights, others were terrible monsters. A few were girls, drawn with perfect form and proportion. I sorted through the stack, curious. I stopped at one particular drawing.

It was a turtle, clearly Raphael, with his red mask and dark coloring, but he was laughing. His expression looked so care-free, so happy in this picture. I stared for a long moment. I'd never seen Raphael like this. I slipped the picture back into the center of the stack, and glanced at the clock. The hour was nearly up. I made my way out to the main room of the Lair.

Leonardo was just coming out of his room. He stretched. I could see the muscles in his arms ripple. "You ready, Saishi?"

I swallowed hard, suddenly not sure this was such a good idea. "Yes, Sir. Where is Michelangelo?"

"He's already in the training room. Splinter has him meditate in there so he doesn't get distracted reading comic books or playing video games," said Leonardo with a smile. "Come on, he's probably bored out of his shell by now. Let's go tell him his time's up."

I followed Leonardo to the training room. I was beginning to regret saying I would try this, remembering the turtles' dreadful battle of the morning. I had no hope in any kind of match.

"Hey, Michelangelo," called Leonardo. Michelangelo jumped up from his cross-legged position.

"Is it time? Great! I thought I'd go nuts in here. I don't know how you do it, Leo. I can't stand sittin' still for so long!"

"We'll start with the basic katas," said Leonardo. "Saishi, watch Michelangelo and me. We'll show you the stances, and you can try to follow, ok?"

"Yes, Sir."

Leonardo stopped, and sighed. He came over to me and knelt, taking my shoulders in his hands. I gasped and tried to step back, but he held me firmly.

"Saishi. Please. Don't call me 'Sir'."

"Y…y…yes, Sir. I'm sorry Sir. I… I mean, I'm sorry, Leonardo!" Panic threatened to close my throat. "Please, I'm sorry. I don't mean to… I'll try to remember!"

Leonardo squeezed my arms, but not painfully. "Saishi, relax. It's ok. Just try to call me 'Leo', ok? You don't have to be scared of me. If I'm going to teach you, we need to trust one another. And you need to relax. Why do you keep calling us 'Sir', anyway?"

"Really, Dude, we're all buds," said Michelangelo.

"It is how I was trained," I said. "Master Hakari insisted."

"Well, you're not with Hakari now. You can call us by our names, ok, Saishi?" Leonardo said.

Yes… Leonardo," I whispered. I shivered with apprehension, but he let me go.

"Ok, the first stance is like this," He stood with his legs slightly spread. "It's important to get the balance right. Not like that, Mikey. Here, move your foot a little. No wonder Saishi knocked you over this morning, you're center of gravity is off if you stand like that…" Leonardo corrected Michelangelo's stance. I tried to imitate the way he was standing, paying attention to what he was saying to Michelangelo.

Leonardo glanced at me. "Great, Saishi, that's really good. Now, bend your knees just a little more…"

We spent most of the next two hours working on different stances. Michelangelo went through the movements flawlessly as far as I could see, but every so often Leonardo corrected some minor point. I listened carefully, determined to get it right.

"You're doing great, Saishi," said Leonardo. I flushed, embarrassed by his praise.

"I'll never be a warrior, Sir. I'm not strong like you and your brothers."

"Muscle isn't everything, micro-Dude," said Michelangelo. "Look how you took me down this morning. You've gotta learn to use your strengths. You're little, and quick on your feet. You can use that in a battle."

"That's right, Saishi," said Leonardo. "You can learn to use your opponent's force against them. Being light, you can dodge. When someone charges at you, you can learn to step out of the way. Use their momentum against them. Why don't I show you a couple basic techniques you can use to defend yourself?"

"All right," I said, encouraged by his praise.

"Ok, now I'm going to come at you. See if you can dodge my attack," said Leonardo.

"What? Wait!" I cried, but it was too late. Two hundred pounds of green muscle launched toward me.


	14. Chapter 14 Flying Lesson

Chapter 14 -Flying Lesson-

Without thinking, I put my hands together, and levitated Leonardo up and away from me.

"Hey! What the shell?" he squawked with surprise.

"Whoa, little Dude, how'd you do that?" cried Michelangelo.

"Never mind how, just get me down!" cried Leonardo.

I lowered him very gently to the mat, and knelt, bowing my head in embarrassment. "I am sorry, Sir. I didn't mean to!"

"Saishi, what on earth was that?" asked Leonardo. I heard his footsteps approaching, and looked up. He was frowning. I scrambled to my feet and backed away, holding my hands out to him.

"Please don't be angry with me, Sir! I didn't mean to use magic. I… I didn't know what to do!"

"Saishi, don't call me 'Sir'," said Leonardo. He stopped a few paces away, and knelt down. Seeing that he didn't mean to grab me, I stopped, but stayed back, out of his reach. "How did you do that, Saishi? That's a pretty amazing trick."

"I… I just levitated you. It's simple magic. I did tell you, Sir, I am a genie."

"Well, it's effective." Leonardo smiled. "I did tell you to use your strengths."

"One thing, little Dude," said Michelangelo. "If you could use magic to defend yourself, how come you let that Hakari guy beat you up? I mean, how come you didn't just zap him into the middle of next week?"

I shook my head. "I cannot use my magic against my Master," I explained. "If I tried, it would rebound on me."

"Whoa, bummer. I guess that makes sense," said Michelangelo.

"It's good to learn the physical self-defense techniques," said Leonardo. "You shouldn't depend on just one skill in battle. And if you learn how to defend yourself effectively, someone like Hakari can't make you a victim."

"Yes, but I could never fight my Master," I said. "He would only punish me more severely if I resisted him."

"Sometimes it's best not to fight," said Leonardo. "A tree that bends in the storm is less likely to break. But if someone's hurting you, you've got to stand up for yourself. You shouldn't just let him hurt you, Saishi. The only way to stop a bully is to stand up to them. Giving in never makes things better."

"Yes, Leonardo," I whispered, hanging my head.

"Saishi, the way Hakari treated you is not your fault," said Leonardo. He stood and came over to stand near me. I didn't back away this time. He touched my arm, and I flinched instinctively, but Hakari's conditioning was too strong. I did not try to escape his touch, though I was certain Leonardo was annoyed with me. "Saishi, we're here to protect you. And we'll teach you how to protect yourself. You don't have to be scared of guys like Hakari any more, ok?" I nodded, but did not look up. I waited tensely for him to pinch or slap me as Hakari did when I annoyed him, but Leonardo only patted my arm.

"Here, let me show you how to dodge and roll, ok? When you see someone running at you, you'll shift your weight to one side, like this." He put his hands on my arms, and pushed me to one side, making me stand on one leg. "And then, as soon as they're close enough, let that knee bend," he put his hand on the back of my knee.

"Oh," I cried, as my knee buckled under me, but Leonardo caught me and lowered me gently to the mat.

"Then you just roll, like this." He maneuvered me onto my back. "And keep rolling and get up again."

I rolled over and scrambled to my feet, not liking the vulnerable feeling of lying on my back with the turtle warrior towering over me.

"That's great, Saishi, perfect," said Leonardo, smiling. "Why don't I show you what it looks like in action? I'll charge Mikey this time. Watch how he times his duck and roll to avoid the attack. Then you can try, ok?" I nodded. "You ready, Mikey?" Leonardo crouched into an attack stance. I watched Michelangelo shift his weight.

"Ready when you are, compadre," he said, grinning. "Bring it on." Leonardo made a full-on charge toward his brother. It was no less terrifying to see him launch himself at someone else. I hugged my chest, ducking instinctively, but forced myself to watch as Michelangelo dropped to one knee and rolled aside. He completed the trick by hooking his brother's ankle with his foot as he charged by.

"Hey!" Leonardo plunged forward with a shout. He ducked his head, and somersaulted, ending up back on his feet. "That was a dirty trick, Mike!"

Michelangelo laughed. "You've gotta concentrate, Dude," he teased.

Leonardo scowled, but his expression softened and he chuckled. "You're right, Mikey. Now it's your turn. Concentrate on _this_. He launched himself at his brother. This time, Michelangelo was taken off-guard, and the two crashed to the mat, rolling around. They struggled, grunting with effort. I backed away, alarmed.

Michelangelo tucked his legs under his brother's plastron, and thrust forward. Leonardo flew backward, landing on his shell, but was on his feet in a flash, and crouched, ready to attack.

I ran forward without thinking. "Stop! Please stop it!" I cried. Leonardo turned toward me, startled, as I ran at him. He reached out and caught me by the arm before I could reach him. I let myself go limp, using my weight to drag myself out of his grasp. It was a technique I'd used before to escape Hakari. I scrambled back, out of Leonardo's reach. He didn't try to grab for me again, but I tripped over the mat as I backed away, and fell. I crashed into a hard shell, and strong hands caught me before I could hit the mat. I squirmed, but Michelangelo held on.

"Whoa, micro-Dude. It's ok. Leo and me were just playing around," said Michelangelo. He set me on my feet. "We didn't mean to scare ya, Saishi. Really. This is how we train."

"I'm sorry, Sir. I thought Leonardo would hurt you."

"Saishi, we're brothers, and we do this all the time," said Leonardo. "It's called sparring. It looks like a real fight, but we're not aiming to hurt each other. We're finding out where our weaknesses are, so we can improve." He dropped to one knee and held his hand out to me. "Mikey and I were just fooling around. We didn't mean to scare you. Do you still want to learn that dodge technique?"

I approached Leonardo timidly. "I… I'd like to."

He smiled. "Great. Michelangelo will come at you this time, ok?"

"What's the matter, Leo, afraid he'll give you another flying lesson?" teased Michelangelo. I smothered a laugh with my hand. Leonardo grinned.

"I'll watch to see Saishi's technique. Then I can help him improve."

"Ready, Saishi?" Michelangelo crouched.

I swallowed hard. "Yes, I… I guess so," I said. I stood the way Leonardo had shown me, with my weight balanced to one side.

"That's great, Saishi," said Leonardo. Ok, Michelangelo, now!"

Michelangelo launched himself at me. It was all I could do not to use my powers. I waited until he was nearly upon me, then let my knee bend, and rolled away. His hand brushed my sleeve, but I evaded his grasp, rolling to my feet. I was breathing hard with exhilaration.

"I did it!" I cried.

"Great job, micro-Dude," said Michelangelo, picking himself up.

"That was perfect, Saishi," said Leonardo. "You picked just the right moment. Way to go!"

I blushed with their praise. I'd never felt so excited, so strong.

"Are ya teaching him to play dodge-turtle?" The voice startled me so badly, I spun and went instinctively into the fighting crouch Leonardo'd shown me. Raphael was leaning against the doorpost, watching us. His eyes narrowed, looking at me.


	15. Chapter 15 Mt Raphmore

Chapter 15 -Mt. Raph-more -

I straightened, and bowed. "Your brothers were teaching me defense, Sir."

"He learned some of the beginning katas earlier, but I thought he should know how to defend himself," said Leonardo.

"Yeah, the little Dude needs to stand up for himself," said Michelangelo. "Or fall down for himself." He laughed at his own joke.

"Well, I've got better things to do than hang around here all day," said Raphael. "Don't you think we should be out looking for Hakari, Leo?"

"No, Raph. I don't think we should go looking for trouble," said Leonardo. "Going out in the day time is dangerous, you know that. Why don't we watch a movie or something. When we go out on patrol tonight, we'll keep an eye out for Hakari. Will that satisfy you?"

"Whatever you say, 'Fearless'," Raphael said. He stalked off. Leonardo sighed.

"A movie! What a great idea. You wanna pick one, Saishi," asked Michelangelo.

"Oh. No, Michelangelo, thank you," I said, feeling shy and confused. The exhilaration of the morning had faded.

"Why don't you pick a movie out, Mikey," said Leonardo. "I'm going to check with Don and see how his research is going." He glanced at me. "I'll come watch with you in a few minutes, ok?"

"I have chores to complete," I said. "I've already cleaned the kitchen and Master Raphael's room…"

"You cleaned Mikey and _Raph's_ room?" Leonardo looked shocked. "You didn't touch his weights did you?"

"Or my comic books?" Michelangelo said. "I have a system. If you've messed it up…"

"No, Sir!" I said quickly. "I didn't disturb your piles, Sir. I picked up the ones that were lying about the room, and made new piles, Sir. I put them with the others."

"Oh, that's ok, then." said Michelangelo, his easy smile reappearing. "Thanks, little Dude. You didn't have to clean our room."

"I hope you didn't disturb Raphael's things, Saishi," said Leonardo, looking worried. "He doesn't like anyone touching his stuff."

"I only straightened up a bit," I said. "I cleaned and made his bed, but I did not move any of his things."

"Who the shell's been messin' around with my stuff?!" Raphael's shout made us all jump. He stormed into the training room, holding one of the weights. "Mikey, how many times have I told you not to touch my equipment?" He advanced on his brother.

"Hey, bro, chill-ax. It wasn't me. Saishi cleaned our room for us!"

I sank to my knees as Raphael's glare turned on me.

"Why'd ya do that?"

"I… I… I was… I was just… serving you, Master," I whispered, trembling. "It's… what I do, Sir."

"Raph, the kid did you a favor. Take it easy," said Leonardo. "It's probably the first time your room's been cleaned in months."

Raphael snorted, still glaring. "Just 'cause Mikey's a slob…"

"You're just as bad," said Michelangelo.

"Huh. Well, don't mess with my stuff, ok, Kid?" Raphael looked at me. "I don't like people messin' around with my stuff."

"As you wish, Sir." I whispered, ducking my head to avoid his glare.

"And _don't_ call me 'Sir'," he growled. He turned on his heel and stalked from the room.

"Phew. You just witnessed a relatively minor eruption of Mt. Raphael," said Leonardo. "Don't worry, Saishi. You didn't do anything wrong."

I got to my feet. "My Master is angry with me," I said. I felt deflated, the joy of the morning gone. "I should go and apologize."

"Oh, I don't think that's a good idea, Saishi," said Leonardo. "You'd better just give Raph a little space, ok? Don't worry, he'll cool down."

"Yeah, come on, micro-Dude. Let's go watch that movie," said Michelangelo. "Let Raph burn off some steam with his weights. He does this all the time."

I followed Michelangelo out to the living room. "Do you wanna watch _The Invasion of the Radioactive Dinos from Space_, or _Attack of the Fifty Foot Woman_?" he asked, holding up the movies.

"Whatever you want to watch, Michelangelo," I said.

"Cool. _Radioactive Dinos _it is then," he said, popping the disk into the player. "I'll make popcorn."

"I can do that, Sir," I said. I held my hands together and concentrated. The blue glow formed, and a large bowl of popcorn appeared on the table.

Michelangelo's eyes were wide. "Whoa. Dude, that is one _bodacious_ trick!" he exclaimed.

I smiled. Sometimes, being a genie was fun.

***


	16. Chapter 16 Gone With the Mikey

Chapter 16 -Gone with the Mikey-

I must have dozed off sometime before the dinosaurs invaded the city. When I woke again, I heard voices from the kitchen.

"Hey, man, save some pizza for a starving turtle, huh?"

"Pass the pepperoni, will ya, Don?"

"Master Splinter, would you like another bowl of miso soup?"

I smiled. The sounds were so friendly, so alien to anything I'd ever heard before. None of my previous masters had families living with them. Master Hakari had Janice, but she had been so unhappy, there was no laughter or joy in the house.

_She was happy, at first. The first year was such fun. I remember how she'd sing in the mornings… she had such a lovely voice. But then Hakari got so possessive. He hated for her to leave the house, and then he forbade it. She stopped singing. The house was so quiet. _I hugged my chest, ashamed at the memory of Janice's fear and anger.

_I wish she couldn't leave without my permission, Saishi. it's your job to keep her here, you got that? She isn't to leave this house._

I shook myself. Janice hated and feared me now, because of what Hakari'd made me do. She looked at me with such loathing after that day. I'd kept the spell in place for only two weeks before I couldn't stand it anymore.

One afternoon, I left a door open, free of the magical locks which kept her in. It didn't take Janice long to discover it. She was checking the doors every day by then, hoping for an opportunity to escape. It had taken Hakari even less time to discover she was gone. he'd been furious. He went out after her, threatening to punish me most severely when he returned.

_Don't think about it_, I told myself. _It doesn't bear remembering._ Hakari had come back, injured and furious, without Janice. It had been one of the worst nights of my life. Fearing he'd murder me in his rage, I'd finally retreated to my bottle. I stayed in there for several days, nursing my wounds, until Hakari insisted I come out. It was then he told me of his plan for revenge on the turtles.

I heard soft footsteps moving across the floor, and the familiar _tap_ of Splinter's walking stick. I lay still as he made his way through the main room and disappeared behind his rice-paper screen into his room.

"Hey, shouldn't we wake up the micro-Dude?" Michelangelo's voice carried clearly from the kitchen. "Maybe he wants some pizza?"

"Geez, Mikey, can't we have one meal in peace?" snapped Raphael.

" What's your problem, Raph?" Donatello spoke up. "He's a nice kid. What's he done to hock you off, anyway?"

"I can't stand him!" said Raphael. "He keeps callin' me 'Sir'. And I don't trust him."

My heart shrank in my chest. I wanted so badly for Raphael to like me. I swallowed the lump in my throat, and it sat like a chunk of lead in the pit of my stomach.

"Geez, Raph, cut the kid some slack. He hasn't had an easy life," said Leonardo. "Besides, haven't you noticed the way he looks up to you? Would it kill you to be nice to him?"

"Yeah, Leo, it just might. Why did this Hakari guy send him to us?"

"How do you know Hakari _sent_ him? Maybe he ran away. Hakari was pretty cruel to him," said Leonardo.

"He _told _me Hakari left him in the sewers, Leo."

"Maybe he's scared to say he ran away. Maybe he's scared you'll give him back to Hakari."

"Fat chance. If I run into Hakari, I'll take him apart," snarled Raphael. "He won't get his hands on the kid as long as I'm around. Especially now that the kid knows how to find us."

"I don't think Saishi _wants_ to go back to Hakari, Raph. I think he likes it here," said Donatello. "Why don't you give him a chance?"

Raphael didn't answer. I lay very still, keeping my eyes closed, as he stalked out of the kitchen. I heard him slam aside the bamboo screen to the training room. Soon thuds and grunts could be heard as he took his rage out on some unfortunate object.

"You don't think Saishi'd give us away, do you, Leo," asked Michelangelo. "I mean, Micro-Dude's my little bud!"

"I don't see how he can," said Leonardo. "Master Splinter says Saishi's bound to whomever holds the bottle. That means he's stuck with Raph."

"Poor kid," snorted Donatello.

Leonardo ignored him. "I don't think Saishi could betray us even if he wanted to."

I shook my head sorrowfully. _If only that were true, Leonardo. _I_ will not betray you, but I fear my bottle will. Hakari's amulet will lead him right to it._

"Hey, do ya wanna go and see _Mutant Goldfish from Mars_ with me today, Donny?" asked Michelangelo. "Today's the last day it's playing."

"Sorry, Mikey, I've got more tests to run on that bottle," replied Donatello. "I want to be sure it's not a homing device in disguise."

I shivered, even though I knew none of Donatello's equipment would turn up the magic that made my bottle visible to the amulet.

"How about you, Leo?" Mikey asked eagerly.

"I really need to meditate this afternoon," said Leonardo. "Maybe Raph'll go."

"Nah, I asked him already. I don't wanna go by myself. Movies aren't fun alone," whined Michelangelo.

"Well, maybe Saishi will go with you. He didn't seem to mind _Radioactive Dinos_. And the fresh air would probably be good for him," Leonardo said.

"Dude, that's a tubular idea!" cried Michelangelo. "Micro-Dude will _love_ the theater. I betcha that Hakari guy never took him to a movie." I heard chairs scraping on the floor. I sat up slowly, stretching and yawning.

"Hey, Saishi," called Michelangelo, darting into the room. "Yawannagoseeamoviewithme?"

I laughed. "What?"

"I'm gonna go topside to see _Mutant Goldfish from Mars_. It's only the most awesome movie of all time! Better than _The Puffers from Pluto_, even. So you wanna go with me?" Michelangelo's enthusiasm made me smile.

"If my Master allows it, I would be pleased to accompany you, Michelangelo."

"Cool. I'll get Raph to let you go. Don't worry about that," said Michelangelo. He winked. "It'll be easy. I'll just pester him to go, and after he says "no" five times, I'll ask if you can come instead. He'll let you go just to shut me up." I laughed, fascinated.

"Raph-y!" called Michelangelo, storming into the training room. "Raphy, yawannagoseeamoviewithme?!"

"What? No, Mikey! I told ya, I don't wanna see the stupid _Goldfish_," growled Raphael.

I slipped over to the open door to watch the show. Raphael was standing in front of a large bag hanging from the ceiling, with his back to me. As I watched, he jabbed at the bag, denting the solid surface with his fists.

"Aww, Raphy, come on! Don's workin' in the lab, and Leo's meditatin', and you know Splinter won't go to the movies. I don't wanna go alone," Michelangelo was making puppy-eyes at his brother. "Come on, Raph. Come see the movie with me. You know you love mutant-from-outer-space movies!"

"No, Mike, _you_ love mutant-from-outer-space movies. I love action movies like _Die Hard_."

"Puh-leeeeeeeze, Raphy?" whined Michelangelo. Even I found his whine annoying. I wondered how long it would be before Raphael simply punched him.

"No, Mike! Now leave… me… alone!" Raphael punctuated each word with a sharp punch to the bag. I stepped back, swallowing hard. I feared for a moment that Raphael really would strike his brother.

"Can I take Saishi, then?"

"What? No!" Raphael stopped hitting the bag, and stood squarely, his hands on his hips. "Are you nuts, Mikey? We can't let that kid go topside."

"Oh, come on, Raph. You can't keep him down here forever. He needs fresh air. Don't worry, I'll keep an eye on him."

"Oh yeah, 'cause yer so responsible," growled Raphael.

"Dude, Saishi's my bud. He won't run away. Why should he? Anyway, you've got that bottle, and Master Splinter says he's bound to it. He can't run away as long as it's here in Donny's lab. Come on Raph, puh-leeeeeeeeeze?"

"Oh, all right. But if he gets away, Mikey, I'm gonna kick your shell into the middle of next week, you got it?"

"Sure, Raph, whatever you say!" Michelangelo nearly skipped out of the training room. Behind him, Raphael resumed pummeling the bag.

"Come on, Micro-Dude, let's show you some real life!" said Michelangelo, grabbing my hand. My stomach knotted with worry, but I let him lead me away from the training room. "Hang on, Saishi. I've gotta wear a disguise to go top-side," said Michelangelo. He donned a long coat and a hat that hid most of his face. "How do I look?"

I laughed. "Like one of the Blues Brothers," I said.

Michelangelo grinned. "Dude, I'm a Green Brother. What's a Blue Brother?"

"They were a band Master Hakari liked. There was also a movie about them," I said. Mentioning Hakari's name made my stomach twist even tighter. "Perhaps this is not a good idea, Michelangelo."

"What? No way, little Dude. It's a _great_ idea. Come on." he took my hand again, and I followed him out into the maze of tunnels. We walked for what seemed like a long time.

"How do you find your way?" I asked.

"Dude, we grew up down here. Nobody knows these sewers like us," Michelangelo said.

"Master Raphael need not fear I will tell anyone where your lair is," I said. "I would be lost forever down here."

"You wouldn't turn us in, anyway, right Saishi?" Michelangelo stopped so suddenly I ran into the back of his shell. He turned and knelt, looking into my face earnestly. "I mean, we're buds, you and me, right? You wanna stay with us, don't you?"

"More than anything in the world, Michelangelo," I said. Tears stung my eyes, but I blinked them away.

"See, Raph worries for nothin'," said Michelangelo, beaming. "I knew we could trust you, Saishi." For an instant, I wavered. I wanted desperately to warn Michelangelo of Hakari's plan. Michelangelo shifted, and his nunchucks rattled softly under his coat. I swallowed hard. I could not speak. "Buds" or not, Michelangelo was a warrior. He would not hesitate to take out anything that was a threat to his family.


	17. Chapter 17 Hakari's Warning

Chapter 17 -Hakari's Warning-

Michelangelo lead me through the sewers until we came to a metal ladder. "I'll go up first, Saishi, so I can open the manhole cover and make sure the coast is clear, ok?"

I nodded, and waited quietly below the ladder while Michelangelo climbed. He lifted the manhole cover, and slid it aside. "All clear, Saishi. Come on up." he climbed out onto the street, and held his hand out to me as I followed. Michelangelo replaced the cover and we slipped, unnoticed, out of the alley beside the theater.

"Matinees are the best time for me to come," explained Michelangelo. "It's not so crowded. And besides, bonus! The tickets are half-price before four o'clock!" He grinned. Michelangelo paid for our tickets, and we made our way into the darkened theater.

For the next two hours, I forgot about Hakari and the trouble I was in. The huge goldfish invaded the Earth in their bowl-shaped spaceships, determined to steal all the water from the worlds' oceans. Michelangelo grasped at my hand at one point in the movie, jumping as the goldfish flew at the screen, it's mouth gaping.

"Mondo bummer, dude," he whispered when the hero, a young army colonel, was tragically injured and all hope seemed lost. The colonel's girlfriend cradled his bleeding head in her lap, and Michelangelo wiped at his cheek.

"Are you all right?" I asked, concerned.

"I got somthin' in my eye is all," whispered Michelangelo hoarsely. I smiled in the dark. I liked him very much.

When the movie was over, we slipped out a side door of the theater.

"Micro-Dude, I've got a mondo-tubuloso idea!" said Michelangelo. "There's a shop two streets over that sells the _best_ ice cream. And they've got green-tea ice cream. It's major weird, I know, but it's the only kind Master Splinter likes. What do ya say we pick up a few cartons and take it home?"

"Do… do you think it's safe," I asked timidly. "I fear you might be seen out here."

"Oh, it's cool little dude. Nobody pays any attention to anything in this neighborhood. It's safer to mind your own business, ya know? That's why we come to this theater."

"If… if it pleases you, Sir," I said, fearing to argue with him.

"Saishi. Dude. I thought you weren't gonna call us 'Sir' anymore."

"Sorry, Michelangelo."

He grinned. "Come on, little Dude. Let's go." I followed, trailing behind. I looked around as we walked. The area looked familiar. I looked up, and stopped cold. The shoe sign… This was the shop where Master Hakari came to have his shoes re-soled. It was one of the only places in the city that handled Italian leather.

"M…M… Michelangelo," I stuttered.

"What's wrong, Saishi?" Michelangelo turned to look at me.

"Please, I want to go back. Please, can't we go back? I do not like this place," I whimpered.

"Saishi, Dude, whattsa matter?" Michelangelo came close to me and put his hand on my shoulder.

"I'm sorry…" I whispered, covering my face with my hands. "Please, I just want to go back."

"Saishi, it's ok. There's nothin' to be scared of. I'm a ninja, remember? I'm not gonna let anything happen to you. Come on, the store's on the next block. We'll get the ice-cream, and then we'll go, ok?"

I let him lead me away, but I searched the street, looking for any sign Hakari might be nearby. We made it across the street and to the small store Michelangelo was heading for. Outside the door, I stopped short.

"May I wait out here?" I asked. The store looked so small and cramped. "I do not like small spaces. It… it reminds me of being trapped inside the bottle." Besides, I wanted to keep a lookout for Hakari.

"Ok, Saishi. I'll be right back, so wait right here, ok? You sure you'll be ok on your own for a couple minutes?"

"Yes, Michelangelo. I'll wait for you here."

He went into the shop. I stood nervously by the front door, staring down the street toward the shoe store. I shifted from one foot to the other. Michelangelo seemed to be taking an awfully long time. I was about to go in after him when a rough hand grabbed my shoulder, and another clamped over my mouth, cutting off my scream. I was dragged a few steps around the corner and down a dim alley.

I struggled wildly, but it was no use. The suffocating hand finally came away from my mouth. I was thrown back against the brick wall of the building and pinned there by… "Master Hakari!"

"So, you remember me. Good. But what are you doing wandering around the streets? You're supposed to be finding the turtles for me!"

"Please, Sir, I have found them. They captured me in the tunnels. The one with the red mask has my bottle now."

"Good, good." Hakari's dark eyes glittered. "Then is the bottle in their Lair?"

"Yes, Sir," I squeaked.

"What are you doing out here? Why aren't you in the Lair?"

"I… I was brought to help run an errand with Master Raphael's brother, Sir." I didn't think it wise to mention the movie.

Hakari's eyes flashed with rage. "He's not your Master," he snapped. "_I_ am your Master, and don't you ever forget it!"

"Please, Sir, Raphael has the bottle now…"

He slapped me, hard. "Not for long," he growled. "You just do as you're told, Saishi. You keep your mouth shut and wait for me. I'll use the amulet to come for you, as soon as I'm prepared to deal with those turtles."

"Please… Master… when will you come?" I whimpered.

"I'm not telling you that," he said. "I don't want you warning those turtles, and setting a trap for me. I'm warning you, Saishi, if you mess up this plan, you'll pay. I _will_ get you back, do you hear? By this time next week, you'll be home with me where you belong."

"Y…y…yes, Master," I stammered, shivering. His hand on my chest, pinning me against the wall, made it hard to breathe.

"That's right. I _am_ your Master, and don't you forget it," he said, giving me a little shake. "You just do what I told you and sit tight. You do well, and I'll reward you. Screw up, and…" He didn't finish the sentence. He didn't have to. I knew full well what would happen to me if I failed. He let go of my shirt, and I sank to the ground. "Don't forget, Saishi. Next week."

"Saishi! Saishi, dude, where are you?" Michelangelo's call echoed in the alley.

Master Hakari stood up, and crossed the alley. "Don't forget," he said over his shoulder, as he disappeared through a side door into another building.


	18. Chapter 18 Raphael's Rage

Chapter 18 -Raphael's Rage-

"Michelangelo," I called weakly, getting to my feet. "I am here."

"Dude! What're you doin' down here? You had me worried sick," scolded Michelangelo. He rushed down the alley, his coat flapping around his legs. He set two bags down on the ground and knelt close to me.

"Please, I'm sorry," I whimpered, shrinking back against the wall. My face hurt where Hakari slapped me. I was afraid Michelangelo would hit me for disappearing.

"Are you ok, Saishi? How come you're down here, Dude?"

"I… I… got nervous," I explained, thinking fast. "I was afraid to stand out in the open, so… so I waited for you here in the alley. I am sorry! Please don't be angry with me."

"Oh, it's ok, little Dude," said Michelangelo. "I was just worried, you know, when I came outta the shop and you were gone. Raph'd kill me if I lost ya." He gathered up his bags, and I followed him back down the street to the manhole we'd come from.

"You go down first, ok, Saishi? I'll hand you the bags, then I can put the cover back."

"Ok."

We made our way back to the Lair. Michelangelo hung his coat and hat on a coat-rack near the entrance.

"Whatcha got, Mikey," asked Raphael, glancing over the back of the couch at us. He was more relaxed than I'd seen him since I'd come to the turtles' home.

"I got ice-cream, Raph. Green-tea for Master Splinter, and chocolate for me. Mint-chip for you, and strawberry for Donny. And I got Leo some of that weird guava-melon he likes. Yuck."

"You got ice-cream? Cool, Mike," said Raphael, standing up. Michelangelo carried the bags to the kitchen. I trailed behind. Raphael came in behind us. I stepped back, out of his way.

"We got any bowls?" he asked, opening the cupboard.

"Yeah, Saishi did the dishes, remember?" said Michelangelo.

"What? The kid did the dishes?" asked Raph. He looked at me for the first time, his eye-ridges raising. "Thanks, Kid. Hey, what the shell happened to your face?"

"What?" Michelangelo turned around. "Holy guacamole, little Dude, how'd you do that?"

"What? I do not know what you mean," I said, touching my cheek guiltily. "I… I must have… bumped it. The theater was dark…" Raphael crossed the kitchen and knelt in front of me, scowling. I backed up, but the counter edge pressed into my shoulders. I was trapped.

"That's no bump, Kid. Who hit you? I know Mikey didn't do that."

"No, Sir! I… I…" I couldn't think of a lie fast enough. Raphael glared at me. I sank to my knees and hid my face in my hands. "Please, Sir, Master Hakari caught me in the alley by the store. He was angry because I would not go with him. He… he hit me, Sir, but Michelangelo called me, and he ran away. I am sorry, Sir…"

"Dammit!" shouted Raphael. There was a crash above me. I felt the cabinet door jump. He must've punched it. I cringed in terror, sure the next punch would crash into me. "Mikey, you were supposed to watch him!"

"He was with me the whole time, Raph, honest," said Michelangelo. "Saishi, how come you didn't tell me about Hakari?" He cracked his knuckles, scowling. "I'd teach him to beat up on my little bud!"

"I… I… I was afraid! Please, Master, do not be angry with me, Sir!"

"Stop calling me 'Master'!" shouted Raphael. "I'm gonna take that Hakari _apart_. I'm gonna rip his lousy arms clean off his body, I'm gonna…" I covered my ears, curling into a ball on the floor. Sobs shook me. Even in his worst rages, Hakari had never been this violent. I was positive that at any moment, I would feel the strike of Raphael's sai stabbing into my body.

"Dude, you're scaring Saishi!" Michelangelo's shout cut across Raphael's tirade.

"Aaarrgh," shouted Raphael, jumping up. "I need to go _hit_ something." He stormed out of the room.

A hand touched my back, and I cringed, whimpering. "Please, don't hurt me!"

"Hey, Saishi, it's ok. It's just me, little Dude." Michelangelo's voice was soft, close to my ear. "It's ok, little bud. Nobody's mad at _you_. Come on, get up. It's ok." He lifted me up. I squirmed, but he stood me on my feet facing him. I could not meet his eyes. I stood, shaking, and waited for him to hit me. "Hey, little Dude," said Michelangelo. He touched my cheek where Hakari's hand left its mark. "It's ok now. You're safe." The kindness in his voice melted me. I flung my arms around his neck, and clung to him, my tears wetting his plastron.

His arms came around me and I gasped, flinching, but he held me close to him without squeezing. His hand moved over my back, rubbing. It felt like nothing I'd ever experienced before. I was at once terrified by his strength, and comforted by his touch. Michelangelo knelt there, holding me for a long time, until every tear left in me was cried out.

"You're ok, Saishi. It's ok. Don't cry, Micro-Dude," he kept soothing me. Finally I let go of his neck and let my arms fall away. I felt exhausted, spent. I sniffed, hiccupping, and Michelangelo chuckled. I smiled. His laugh was so easy, so care-free.

"I am sorry, Michelangelo," I whispered.

He patted my shoulder and stood up. "It's ok, Saishi. But you've gotta trust me, ok? _I'm _sorry. I shoulda protected you better. I shoulda whupped Hakari's butt. Come on, Micro-Dude. Let's get summa that ice-cream, before it's all melted, ok? What kind do you like?"

I sniffed. "I… I do not know, Sir. I've never had ice-cream before."

"What?!" Michelangelo's incredulous shout made me jump with nerves. "Never had _ice-cream_? Well, come on, Micro-Dude, you are in for a _treat_!"

I laughed. Michelangelo fixed a heaping bowl of brown ice cream for himself, then set about filling a second bowl. "Let's see… You gotta have chocolate, 'cause that's the best. And strawberry, it's pretty good. And some of the mint… you don't want the guava or green-tea, those are nasty…" The bowl he handed me was far too full for me to finish, but I thanked him all the same. I hadn't eaten lunch, and I realized I was hungry.

"Let's go watch TV," said Michelangelo. I followed him out to the living room. He perched on the couch and clicked on the set. I climbed carefully up beside him, and leaned against his side.

It felt odd to be so comfortable with anyone, let alone a huge turtle, but his shell pressing against my side made me feel safe and protected for the first time in my life. The ice-cream _was _good. I liked the strawberry the best, but it was all good. I finished over half the bowl before I could eat no more. I set the bowl on the table, and leaned back against Michelangelo with a sigh. With a full stomach, cradled against his shell, my eyes slid closed.


	19. Chapter 19 Plans and Dreams

Chapter 19 -Plans and Dreams-

_Saishi…_ the dream came again. I could hear Hakari's voice calling to me. I was running through the sewers. There was no suffocating heat this time, now I was freezing as I ran, splashing through the water. _Saishi, you will obey!_ Hakari taunted me. _I will have my revenge!_.

_I thought we were buds, Dude,_ Michelangelo's voice echoed in the tunnels. _Why would you betray us?_

_No honor…_ Raphael's answering echo stopped me, and I fell to my knees, sobbing, on the cold concrete.

_No…_ _I do not wish to betray my friends…_ Images loomed out of the dark. Michelangelo, bloodied and beaten. I saw him cringing away from Hakari, who raised his fist, grinning.

_No!_ I shouted, but my throat was closing, I was suffocating. I struggled to my feet and ran toward them, anything, anything to stop Hakari from hurting my friend, but my legs had no strength. They moved further away, fading into the darkness. I could hear thuds and cries, and I knew Hakari was hurting the turtles.

_Leave them alone! _I shouted. Hands grasped my arms, catching at me. I struggled wildly. I was falling, falling…

_Thud!_

I sat up, looking around wildly. The room was dark, only a small lamp making shadows of the corners. The quiet of late night lay over the Lair. I could hear the softest whisper of breathing coming from Splinter's room, but the turtles' rooms were dark and silent as tombs. I shivered, untangled a blanket from around my shoulders, and got up from the floor where I'd fallen. I looked at the blanket, confused. It was Michelangelo's. He must've covered me with it when I fell asleep. I folded the blanket, and laid it carefully on the couch. I was shivering in the dim coolness of the Lair.

I sat for a long time, listening to the drips of water outside, and the faint sound of Splinter's breathing. I could detect no other sound in the Lair. Finally, driven with curiosity and nerves, I got up.

Donatello's room was a bit cluttered. Bits of wires stuck out from the tops of boxes stacked in the corner. Computer parts took up shelves. Blue papers with white lines lay scattered over a desk. I longed to clean it up, to straighten the shelves and straighten the papers, but I remembered Raphael's anger and Michelangelo's alarm when I'd moved their things, and decided to wait and ask Donatello before I touched anything in his personal space.

Leonardo's room was spotless. His bookshelves held books, many of them filled with ancient wisdom. His tabletop held only meditation candles. Everything else he owned was neatly tucked out of sight in drawers. His bed was made, the corners tucked in. The only sign of recent occupancy was an empty ice-cream bowl on the table. I smiled absently, and picked it up.

I carried it to the kitchen and put it in the sink before continuing my search. The training room was empty. That left only Michelangelo and Raphael's room. Their beds were neatly made, just as I'd left them. The turtles were not here.

_They're out looking for Hakari,_ I thought. _Leonardo said they go on patrol at night, and they would look for him then. Oh Allah, what if they find him? What will they do? If they attack him again, he'll be terribly angry… It will only make him want to hurt them more._

_I can't let him hurt my friends, I just can't! But, how can I stop him? I am only a genie, slave to the bottle. Hakari will be coming soon, tracking it with that amulet. I have to get the bottle out of here. I can't let him find my friends' home. _

But where could I go? Hakari would find the bottle no matter where I went, and he could still make me use my magic to harm the turtles. _I will go into the sewers,_ I thought. _I will go deep into the tunnels, and leave the bottle. Then I'll keep walking, just keep walking away. He can't track _me_ with the amulet, and without me, the bottle is useless. I'll walk into the tunnels and disappear. Then he can't use me to hurt the turtles. He won't be able to use me to harm anyone else, ever again._

I slipped cautiously around the main room, searching. The bottle had to be here someplace, it just had to! I looked under Raphael's bed, and behind Michelangelo's comic books. Nothing. In Leonardo's room, I carefully pulled out each book, but not one hid the treasure. I began to sweat. What if Raphael had hidden the bottle in his father's room? I knew I wouldn't dare enter Splinter's private space, especially when he was there. I was sure the elderly rat slept with one eye open. I was beginning to despair.

I paused at the doorway of Donatello's room. The odd glow and soft hum of computers came from the darkened room. I remembered Leonardo saying Donatello checked the bottle for bugs. That was silly. I had no insects in my bottle! _Donatello has a scanner. He checked the bottle…_ Cautiously, I slipped into the room.

I stood in the center of the room, and held my hands together, concentrating. A blue glow started between my palms. It grew brighter. Soon, I saw the bottle's answering glow shining from high upon a shelf. I reached out, and carefully levitated it down, catching it in my hands. Success!

Now all I had to do was get away before the turtles returned. I made my way to the exit. "Good bye," I whispered. "I'm sorry." I slipped through the door, and disappeared into the night.

***


	20. Chapter 20 Lost

Chapter 20 -Lost-

I walked for a long time, taking every twist and turn I could find in the tunnels. I was determined to get as far away from the Lair as possible with the bottle. I knew Hakari would not give up easily. I did not want to lead him to a spot any where near the turtle's home. I was soon sweating with exertion. I wasn't used to walking far on my own, and the tunnels were confusing.

I finally felt I was far enough away for safety. I found a large crack in the tunnel wall, and deposited the bottle in it. I longed to stop right there, and take a nap. I was so tired, but I knew my job wasn't finished. I had to get myself away, so far away Hakari would never be able to find me again. I started walking, exhaustion dragging at my limbs. I wasn't watching where I was going. I wasn't listening for sounds of pursuit. I wasn't paying attention to anything but putting one foot in front of the other until I walked right into…

"Master Hakari!" I fell to my knees with a cry of fear and despair. The amulet glowed in his hand.

He frowned, reaching for me. "What are you doing here? You were supposed to lead me to the turtles' Lair!" I cringed, raising an arm to protect myself. He grabbed my wrist, hauling me to my feet.

"I… I escaped, and have come to find you."

"Then you can tell me where they are?" Master leaned forward, glaring into my face. I swallowed hard.

"I… I don't… I don't know where they are, Master. I thought I could find you and lead you to them, but I got lost…"

"What?!" Master shoved me backward until my shoulders scraped the brick wall. "What do you mean, you don't know? Look at the amulet! It's glowing. The bottle is nearby!"

I didn't answer. Hakari dragged me to my feet. He hauled me along, following the amulet's glow. Soon we reached the crack where I'd stashed the bottle. He snatched it up, triumphant. "Aha! But why is it here? Why would the turtles hide it here? Did you tell them what I was planning? Did you?" He gave me a rough shake.

"I… No, Sir, I swear! Please, Master, I was afraid… I could not stay with them. They are terrible, Master! I stole the bottle and ran away. I had to escape, or they would have killed me!"

"Where is the Lair, Saishi?" His voice was quiet, dangerous. His eyes glittered angrily in the dark.

"I don't know, Master…" Hikari's fist crashed into my cheek, knocking me to the ground. "Please, Master," I whimpered.

He grabbed my arm, yanking me back to my feet. He hit me again. I swayed, but didn't fall this time. He slapped me, and I felt my lip split. Blood trickled down my chin.

"You fool. You stupid, idiotic little fool. You've ruined everything. You did this on purpose. You can't do _anything_ right, can you? You wretched, dimwitted…" He punctuated each word with a slap.

The world spun and I fell to my hands and knees. Hakari grabbed the back of my vest, hauling me to my feet. He drew back his fist.

"Master," I moaned. "Master, please, stop… I can bring them to you. I can still do what you want… please, Master…" Anything, anything to stop him from hitting me. I cringed, waiting for the next blow, but it didn't fall. My gasping breaths echoed, loud in the tunnel.

"What? You can bring them…"

"Please, Master. I… I can bring them to you. You know I can give you anything you wish for, Master. Anything."

"All right, you've ruined my plan, so we'll do it your way. First, I wish were back on the surface. This sewer reeks. Now."

"Yes, Master." I held my shaky hands together, and forced myself to focus. With a flash, we were standing in an alley above the sewer.

I tried once more to plead for my friends. "Master, please, they are terrible warriors, much stronger than we thought. I was afraid they would harm you, Sir! I could take you away from here… we could start again, in another city. I can give you anything, Master. Anything you want. I thought…"

"That's the problem. You _thought._ It's not your job to think, Saishi. It's your job to do as you're told." Master caught the front of my shirt, and lifted me off my feet. I tried to shield my aching face with my hands. He glared into my eyes. "Don't think. Just grant the wish. Got it?"

"Y…y…yes, Master."

"I wish for the turtles. Here. Now."

"Yes, Master." He dropped me to the ground. I held my hands together, concentrating. The glow started.

I closed my eyes. "I'm so sorry, Michelangelo. Leonardo. Raphael, Donatello. I am so sorry…" I whispered.

The glow expanded, filling the alley, and taking shape. Slowly, forms appeared. Four turtles stood before us, crouched into attack stances.

"What the shell?" Michelangelo sounded frightened, angry. He jerked his nunchucks from his belt. "What's going on? Who're you? And what're ya doin' with my little bud?"

"I'm sorry," I said. falling to my knees. I could not raise my eyes to look at them.

"Saishi, what's going on?" Leonardo drew his katanas. "How did you get out here? How did _we_ get here?"

"Who's this joker? Friend of yours, Saishi?" Raphael spun his sais in his fingers. "One minute we're patrolling the city, the next we're lookin' at the ugliest mug I've ever had the displeasure of layin' my eyes on."

"Saishi," snapped Hakari, "I wish they were bound."

"Please, Master…"

"_Now._"

I had no choice. Hakari had my bottle. Thanks to my foolishness, he was once again my Master. I held my hands together. The glow began once more, but this time it snaked out toward the turtle warriors. Toward my friends. Before they could react, ropes appeared, winding around their wrists and ankles. They fell over with shouts of anger as the ropes wrapped tightly around their legs.


	21. Chapter 21 Hakari's Revenge

Chapter 21 -Hikari's Revenge-

Master Hakari walked over to Donatello who was nearest. He drew back his foot, and kicked Donatello. I flinched at the dull thud. Donatello grunted, but did not shout or plead with Hakari to stop.

"You're a big man, you are, kickin' a guy while he's down. I don't believe we've had the pleasure. My name's Raphael. I already know who _you_ are. You're the scumball who's been after Saishi. Takes a big man to beat up on a kid like him. Untie me, and I'll show ya how ta pick on someone your _own_ size for a change." Raphael sneered as if he weren't helpless, lying bound on the pavement.

"You've got a big mouth, turtle." Hakari stepped over Donatello and leaned down to glare at Raphael. Donatello swung his legs, knocking Hakari down before he could reach his brother. Hakari scrambled to his feet and backed out of reach with a snarl.

"Saishi, I wish…"

I flinched. "Please, Master, wait…"

"No! I will not _wait_. You've caused enough delays. I want them destroyed, now!"

"No, Master, please!" I lifted my eyes. Hakari towered over me, glaring in fury.

"You will obey!"

"Yes, Master." I lowered my eyes, trembling.

I heard a _thud_ and a grunt, and looked up in time to see Master Hakari leaning over Michelangelo this time. He drew back his fist. "I remember _you,_ turtle! I'll teach you to interfere with my business!" Despair flooded me. He was hurting my friends, and I could not stop it. I was bound, slave to whomever possessed the bottle… Another thud, and a grunt from Michelangelo. It was too much. I lunged forward plowing into Hakari, and knocking him off-balance. He spun, flinging me away in a rage.

"Why you little wretch! I'll teach you!" He was on his feet. He charged toward me. I leaned aside, just as Leonardo taught me, and rolled, avoiding him. Hakari caught my vest, but I slipped out. He crashed to the pavement, over balanced. I snatched an empty liquor bottle from the ground, and brought it down with all my might on the pavement, breaking the bottom.

"You little…" Hakari roared with rage, scrambling to his feet. I snatched a piece of the broken bottle.

"No. No more, Master. You will not use me to harm my friends!" I slipped past him, and knelt at Michelangelo's side. "I am sorry, Michelangelo," I said. I slashed at the ropes binding his hands with the broken glass, but magic ropes do not cut easily.

"Traitor!" Rough hands grabbed my shoulders. I dropped the glass as Master Hakari pulled me away. He threw me backward. I crashed into the wall, my breath driven out. He towered over me. "You're dead, Saishi! You hear me? You're _dead_!"

I moaned, holding my head where it had bounced off the wall. "Please, Master, let them go. Do what you will to me, but do not harm the turtles, I beg you. They are my friends!"

"You're going to destroy them, Saishi, one by one. And then I'll kill you with my bare hands. You wretched, stupid little…" He slapped me, hard.

"No! I won't!" I held my hands out in front of me, and levitated Hakari away. The glow flashed like lightning, and bounced back. I cried out as it seared my hands.

"Hey, leave the kid alone, Hakari. What kinda _freak_ beats up on little kids, anyway?" Raphael taunted.

Hakari turned toward him. He seemed distracted by having two targets for his rage. "You will find out, my reptilian friend," he growled. "Saishi, I wish…" He never finished the sentence. Nunchucks whistled.

"I don't think so, Dude." Michelangelo's weapon clattered on the pavement, and Hakari slumped to the ground, unconscious. "Bro, loan me a katana?"

"Sure, Mikey, anything you want." Leonardo laughed.

"Slick work with that 'chuck, Mike. Now cut us loose." Raphael growled.

"Yeah, come on, Mikey. These ropes are cutting off the circulation to my fingers," said Donatello. "Hurry it up." Michelangelo drew his brother's katana, and sliced through the ropes binding his legs with one quick stroke. I cowered, pressing myself against the wall, and cradled my stinging hands in my lap. My head was pounding. I felt dizzy, weak and sick.

"Mikey's slice-n-dice, at your service!"

"Watch it, Mike! My katanas are sharp!" scolded Leonardo.

I cringed, trying to make myself as small and inconspicuous as I could. I heard the katana _swish_, and the turtles' shells scrape the ground as they got to their feet.

"Now what, 'Fearless Leader'?" Raphael was sarcastic as ever.

"I say we get the shell outta here," said Donatello.

"Not yet. Raph has to get that bottle back," said Leonardo. "Hakari used it to make Saishi bring us here and make those ropes, somehow. We can't just leave it."

"What about Saishi?" Michelangelo asked. "We can't just leave him, either."

I cringed as he spoke my name. It had been too much to hope for that they would forget about me. I heard their footsteps, and covered my head with my arm, pressing my cheek against the gritty pavement. A hand grasped my shoulder. A cry escaped me as I was lifted up. I found myself facing Leonardo once more.

"Mercy… please! Please, let me go," I cried, shaking. He set me on my feet. I shrank away, feeling the rough brick against my back through the thin silk of my shirt. I was trembling so hard I could barely stand.

"I've got Saishi. He's a little banged up and scared, but I think he's ok. Did you find the bottle?"

"I got it," said Raphael.

"I am sorry, Master," I whispered. My legs were too weak to hold me. I sank to the ground.

"Why don't ya take the kid back to the Lair? I'll just keep this guy company until he wakes up." I could see Raphael kneeling next to Hakari. His sai glinted in the dim street light. Raphael's expression was grim and terrible. I could not bear it.

"No! No, please," I whimpered. "Please, no more. Don't hurt him. Please!"

"What? You're _defending_ this whack-job?" Raphael turned to face me, his sai in his hand. He was furious.

I cringed, trying to shield my head with my burnt hand. "Please… please, do what you will to me, but let him go. I was the one who stole the bottle. I ran away. I suggested using my magic to bring you here. It was my idea, my fault. Please…"

"Why are you defending him?" shouted Raphael. He leapt over Hakari's prone form and grabbed my shirt. He pushed me back against the wall, rough in his anger. I could smell the sharp scent of sweat and blood as he leaned close to my face. "Or didn't you notice he just tried to make turtle-soup outta us?"

"Please…" I whispered. "It wasn't Hakari… The flash, it was my magic…"

"Raphael, don't. Let him go." Leonardo caught Raphael's hand.

"Raph, man, chill! Ease up." Michelangelo grabbed his brother by the back of the shell, hauling him back. "Saishi, Dude, what the shell happened?"

"Hakari found me in the tunnels," I sobbed. "I said I'd bring you to him… He was hitting me… Please, Master…"

"Don't call me 'Master'!" shouted Raphael. I fell back against the brick wall and pressed my body against the ground, instinctively trying to make myself as small a target as possible.

"Ease up, Raph. Geez, give the kid a break," said Michelangelo.

"I'll give him several," growled Raphael, but he stuck his sais back in his belt. "Don't you get it, Mikey? This Hakari guy almost had us, and the kid was helping him. How did Hakari do this, Kid? You were in on it the whole time, weren't you? Tell the truth this time."

"It's true. Master Hakari was using me," I whispered. The pain in Michelangelo's eyes was more than I could bear. "I'm so sorry."

"But how did Hakari find _you?_" asked Donatello.

"It was the amulet. He was using it to track the bottle. He wanted me to take the bottle to your Lair, so he could track it and find you. He was going to steal me back, and… and tell your enemies how to find you." Raphael growled low in his throat, and I cringed, but he didn't strike me.

"You mean he used this weird necklace to find you?" Michelangelo picked the amulet up from the pavement where Hakari had dropped it. It glowed eerily.

"Does Hakari have any other way of finding you, Saishi?" Leonardo asked. "Or any more magical objects we should know about?"

"N…n…no, Sir," I quavered. I head sirens approaching from several blocks away. The turtles heard them, too. They exchanged glances.

"If Hakari can't use Saishi's powers, he's no more threat to us. We can leave him," said Leonardo. "Let's get back to the Lair. It's getting late. Splinter will be worried."

Raphael tucked the amulet into his belt. "Come on, then. Let's get the shell outta here." He caught me up, tucking me under his arm like a sack.

"Please… please Raphael, leave me. Or just kill me now. Get it over with," I whimpered. Raphael ignored me.

The others disappeared down a nearby manhole. Raphael held me over the hole, dangling. "Leo, catch," he called. Before I could beg him not to, he dropped me. I bit off a scream as I dropped into Leonardo's arms.

"It's ok, Saishi, I've got you," he said.

Raphael came down the ladder and dropped to the tunnel floor beside us. The four ninja warriors moved swiftly and silently through the tunnels. Leonardo carried me. I dared not struggle. I was sure I'd never see the light of day again.


	22. Chapter 22 Homecoming

Chapter 21 -Homecoming-

When they reached the Lair, Leonardo finally put me down. I collapsed, and drew back against a wall, out of the way. I curled myself into a ball, pressing myself against the cool concrete, to wait until they decided my fate.

"My sons!" Splinter held out his hands, and the four turtles knelt before him.

"We're home, Sensei," said Leonardo.

"And Saishi?"

"We retrieved him, Master. Hakari kidnapped him, but we got him back."

"My sons. I am so glad to have you back again." Splinter touched each of their shoulders in turn. "You were late coming home, and you did not contact me. When I rose, I found Saishi missing as well. I feared the worst."

"Aww, Master, it was nothin'. Hakari had some kind of weird necklace. He used it to steal Saishi an' his bottle, but we got 'em back. Everything's ok." Michelangelo said. He came over to where I crouched, and leaned down, putting his hand on my shoulder.

"An amulet? Saishi, please explain. How did Hakari steal bottle from our Lair?" asked Splinter. His claws made tiny sounds on the floor as he approached. I felt his velvet paw on my head, and cringed.

"I stole the bottle," I whispered. "Please… please… don't hurt me too much. Don't let Master Raphael kill me… Please…"

"Saishi, we will not hurt you. We want to understand what happened." Splinter's hand rested on my head, warm and light against my hair.

"I… I stole the bottle, and I ran away. I didn't want Master Hakari to find your home. I didn't want him to hurt anyone. He was using the amulet to track the bottle. I thought… I thought if I left the bottle, and ran away so he couldn't find me, he'd give up on his plan and leave you alone."

"So you were tryin' to protect us, huh little Dude?" Michelangelo asked. I nodded, tears streaming down my cheeks. I ducked my head, trembling. I'd ruined everything. I'd endangered my friends, and betrayed their trust.

"So ya knew Hakari was gonna come lookin' for ya, and ya took the bottle and ran away? Do ya have any idea how stupid that was?" Raphael grated.

"I am sorry, Master," I whimpered. "I did not want him to harm you!"

"So instead you almost got us killed. Way to go, Kid!"

"I believe Saishi is in need of medical care," said Splinter gently. "There is blood on his face. He should rest now. His recent fever left him weak, and this was a terrible ordeal. Raphael, will you tend his wounds and put him to bed?"

"I'll do it, Sensei," offered Michelangelo.

"No, Michelangelo. Raphael is responsible for Saishi. He should be the one to care for him," said Splinter.

"But Sensei!"

"Enough." Splinter stood up, leaning on his walking stick.

"Hai, Sensei." Raphael made a stiff little bow. "Come on, Kid." I cringed, but he scooped me up as if I weighed nothing. "Relax. I won't bite."

"Mercy," I gasped, but his hands were not rough.

"Take it easy, Kid. I'm just puttin' ya to bed, like Splinter said." He carried me back through the Lair to his bedroom. I squirmed. He held me too firmly, I could not wriggle out of his grasp.

"Please," I gasped, a sob catching in my throat. "I didn't mean to cause so much trouble… what are you going to do with me?"

"Saishi, listen. It's been a long day, an' I'm tired, ok? Sensei's right. Ya screwed up, but ya were tryin' to do the right thing. Relax, Kid." He laid me down on the bed. I scrambled backward. Raphael caught my arm, and I flung my free hand up to shield my face.

"Please! Don't!" I whimpered.

"Hey, what'd you do to your hand?" He grabbed my wrists. I struggled wildly, terrified, but it was no use. Raphael was stronger even than Hakari. I could not get free.

"Please, let me go! No… don't hurt me! Please, Raphael! Please…"

"Geez, Raph. What are you doing?" Leonardo sounded annoyed. Facing two angry turtles, I stopped struggling, and went limp.

"I give up! I surrender. Please, don't kill me!" I sobbed. My hands hurt with a deep, stabbing pain, and my face ached where Hakari hit me. I couldn't take any more.

Oh Allah, let my death be quick…

"Come on now, Kid, you know we're not gonna hurt ya. Leo, take a look at this. His hands are all blistered. Maybe you'd better get Donny."

"That weird lightning must've burnt him somehow. Don must have some burn cream and bandages in his first-aid supplies. Don't be scared, Saishi, you're safe now. Careful, Raph, don't hold him too tightly, ok?"

"I'd let him go if I didn't think he'd try to take off again," growled Raphael.

"I won't," I gasped. "I swear! Please, Master, don't hurt me… please let me go."

"Don't call me 'Master', Kid," said Raphael. He let go of my wrists. I pulled my hands in against my chest and curled up, shrinking away. "Hey, take it easy. Geez, I told ya, I'm not gonna hurt ya. You're safe now, Hakari can't get you here. How come you're so scared?"

"Please, Master," I whimpered. "I'm sorry… I didn't mean for any of this to happen. I never wanted Hakari to use my powers against you…"

"Yeah, what the shell happened back there in that alley? Where did those ropes come from? What was that light?"

"I am a genie, Sir," I replied.

"Ok, I guess I believe ya. But how'd Hakari get your bottle?" Raphael was watching me, but his expression was confused, not angry.

"I stole the bottle back, and I ran away. I… I was afraid. I knew that when you found out about Hakari's plan to find your Lair, you'd kill me... But, I didn't want him to find you. Michelangelo said he was my friend. I didn't want Hakari to hurt him. I ran away with the bottle so he couldn't track it to your home."

"So you ran _back_ to Hakari? Why would ya do that?" Raphael was scowling.

"I didn't mean to, Sir! I was going to leave the bottle, and lose myself in the sewers. He caught me before I could get far enough away. He used the amulet to find the bottle where I'd hidden it."

"Why didn't ya tell us what Hakari was planning to do?"

"I couldn't. You would've killed me!"

"No we wouldn't have, Saishi. Didn't you know we wouldn't hurt ya, Kid?"

"I… I knew Michelangelo wouldn't hurt me, Sir. And… Leonardo was most kind to me, but..."

Raphael leaned closer, and I bowed my head in anticipation of a blow. "You were afraid of me?" His voice was quiet.

"Yes."

Raphael rocked back on his heels, glaring at me. I lay, helpless, shaking, and waited for him to strike. "Saishi, I promised to protect ya. A ninja keeps his word."

"You… you are always angry with me, Sir!"

Raphael took a deep breath and let it out slowly. When he spoke again, his voice was softer, as if he were trying to be patient. "Kid, I'm angry a lot of the time, at everybody. I know I get mad sometimes, _shell_, I even yell and throw things. But I take it out on a punching bag, or on the bad guys. I ain't gonna hurt ya."

"You… you're not?"

"Of course not. You're just a kid."

Leonardo came into the room, balancing a bowl and a box in his hands. "Don's taking care of Mikey. He's got a bump on his head where Hakari kicked him."

"Will Michelangelo be all right, Sir?" I asked timidly.

"Don't call me Sir, Saishi. Yeah, he'll be fine. Don't worry, Mikey's got a hard head." Raphael snorted, and Leonardo smiled. "Don says we'll need to wash out the wounds first. I've got some warm water and rags here. Then we can put the burn cream on and bandage his hands."

I scrambled back, trying to get out of their reach. I couldn't bear to have my aching hands touched.

Raphael reached across the bed and casually plucked me back. "Take it easy, Kid. Leo's not gonna hurt ya. Neither am I, ok?"

"Please… let me go," I moaned, shivering. Raphael sat on the side of the bed, and pulled me into his lap. He crossed his arms over my chest, holding my wrists and pinning me against his plastron so I couldn't move.

"Take it easy, Kid. Leo's just gonna wash your hands up a little."

"No, please, let me go!" I struggled wildly, but Raphael was too strong. I could not escape. Leonardo caught my hand in his, and forced my fingers open. He whistled.

"Saishi, I'm not the medical expert Donny is, but I'll be as gentle as I can. Your hands must hurt. We're trying to help you. Please hold still."

Sobs shook me. I was certain they were preparing to hurt me in some terrible way, to take their revenge for my treachery. "Please, please let me go…"

"Hey, what're you guys doin' to my little bud?" Michelangelo peered over Leonardo's shoulder. A bandage covered one side of his head.

"We're trying to treat his hands. That weird light in the alley burned him. Don't worry, Mike, Raph's not hurting him," said Leonardo.

"Hey, it's ok, Micro-Dude," said Michelangelo. He knelt beside Raphael's knee and touched my leg. "My compadres are tryin' to help ya. I'm right here. Nobody's gonna hurt ya."

"Kid. Saishi. Relax, Dude. Leo's not gonna hurt ya. Now stop wiggling." Raphael sounded angry, impatient. I forced myself to stop struggling. Fighting him would only make them hurt me more. Michelangelo stroked my leg. I flinched, fearing even his gentle touch. I'd betrayed their trust, and now I would pay.


	23. Chapter 23 Saishi Gets His Wish

4

Chapter 22 -Saishi Gets His Wish-

"Take it easy, Saishi. I'm just going to wash your hands a little, ok?" Leonardo reached toward me. I squirmed as he brushed the rag against my burned palms. I struggled, whimpering.

"Careful, Leo, you're hurtin' him!" cried Michelangelo. I closed my eyes, dizzy with fear. Raphael's strong, spicy scent surrounded me. His hands held me firmly, but he did not squeeze. Never had anyone so strong handled me so gently. I was used to being tossed about, slapped and kicked by people who were bigger and stronger than I. This was almost worse. Leonardo poured a cold liquid over my burns. It stung, and I cried out.

"Leo!" exclaimed Michelangelo.

"Mikey, Leo's not hurtin' him on purpose," growled Raphael.

"Sorry, Saishi," said Leonardo. "I know that hurt, but this stuff will keep your hands from getting infected. Here, I'll put the cream on. This won't hurt, I promise, and it will make you feel better." He dabbed white stuff onto my palms, and the stabbing pain began to ease. Leonardo gently laid pads over the burns, and wrapped gauze around my hands, holding it in place with tape. "There. How does that feel?"

I sniffed, squirming in Raphael's unrelenting grasp. "It… it… it is better, Sir," I quavered. Leonardo glanced at me, and I cringed, shrinking against Raphael's plastron.

"Don't call me 'Sir', Saishi." Leonardo gave me a tired smile. "You can let him go now, Raph."

"Ok." I found myself free of his enclosing arms, and slid to the floor, sinking to my knees.

Michelangelo touched my shoulder. "You want me to put him to bed, Raph?" he asked.

"It's ok, Mikey, I got him," said Raphael.

"Ok. Hey, Saishi, it's ok now, ok? We're cool, right? You and me are still buds, right?" I lifted my head far enough to meet Michelangelo's blue eyes. He smiled and touched my chin.

"You… you still want to be my friend?" I whispered.

"Of course, Dude! Buds are friends like, forever." Tears filled my eyes. "Besides, you saved our shells back there. You were awesome, little Dude, the way you took on that Hakari guy. You're one of us now, Saishi." he smiled at me, and got up. "I'm goin' to bed, ok?" He stretched, yawning.

"You sure you're supposed to go to bed, Mike? You'd better ask Donny if it's ok to sleep with that lump on yer head. Oh, wait, that's just yer face."

Michelangelo laughed. "Yeah, but in the morning my lump'll be gone, but you'll still be ugly," he retorted. "I'll ask Donny. Cool, if I can't go to bed, maybe I can catch a re-run of _Radioactive Dinos_. Care to join me, Micro-Dude?"

"No, Mike, Saishi really does have to get some rest," said Raphael.

"Ok. We'll watch movies together tomorrow, ok?" Michelangelo sauntered out of the room, grinning as if he hadn't a care in the world.

Raphael stood up, and leaned down. He caught me up. I cried out, but he only laid me on the bed. "This time, Kid, you stay put, ok? No hiding under Mikey's bed."

"Y…y… yes, Master."

"Don't call me 'Master'!" Raphael grated. I cringed, out of habit more than real fear. For the first time, I did not expect to be hit.

"I… I am sorry… Raphael," I whispered.

"Hey, Kid, you're all right," Raphael knelt next to the bed and touched my back awkwardly. I shivered in anticipation, but didn't try to escape his touch.

"Yer safe now, Saishi. But ya shouldn't 'a run away. Ya gotta promise never to do anything like that again, ok?"

"Yes Raphael. Please, what is going to happen to me? Will you… will you let me stay with you?" There was a long silence. I began to fear his answer, and despair filled my heart.

"Of course ya can stay, Saishi, if ya really still want to."

"I do! I promise, I will do anything you wish, Sir. I will not disobey you," I said.

"No, Saishi, listen to me. Ya don't have ta… I mean, what Hakari made ya do, it was awful for ya, wasn't it? I heard ya askin' him ta let us go. Saishi, I promise, I won't ever make ya use your powers like that, ok? If you don't wanna do somethin', you tell me, ok?"

"Yes, Sir," I said softly, overwhelmed.

He caught my arms, and lifted me up. I whimpered in fright, fearing he would crush me. Instead, he caught me up in a hug. "I'm sorry I scared ya, Saishi."

"Mercy," I whispered. "Please, Raphael… Master…"

Raphael released me. "The name's Raph, Kid. Just Raph." he growled. I looked into his eyes, and saw a twinkle of humor there. A laugh overtook me, and I threw my arms around his neck. "As you wish, Raphael."


End file.
